It’s hard to know immediately what to expect from the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s new production, The Whipping Man. The Confederate flag on the show’s promo poster tells one story, but then there’s the image of a broken chain near the bottom — and the Star of David at the top.
The story is one woven together from the experiences of former slaves, Civil War soldiers and Jews in the South. Written by Matthew Lopez, The Whipping Man opened off-Broadway in 2011 and won the 2011 John Gassner New Play Award.
The Whipping Man takes place on Passover in 1865 at the house of a Jewish family, the DeLeons, not two weeks after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. The master of the house’s son, Caleb (Ryan Barry), returns from the war wounded to find his house empty, except for two former slaves, Simon (Michael A. Shepperd) and John (Damian Thompson). The action of the play unfolds as the three wait for Caleb’s family to return.
While on one hand, The Whipping Man tackles several heavy themes — slavery, race, religion — it’s also really just a play about people, Thompson says. “[The Whipping Man] is going to have you examine relationships in general, regardless of race or color or gender. It’s a relationship show.”
Thompson says the historical context and important themes of the play don’t mean that this show is all dark. “There has to be some kind of comedy, some kind of lightness to it,” he says. “You’ll walk away hopefully being impacted … and there are experiences that you will have that’s not all smiling and laughing, but I think it’s more of a well-rounded play than it is a drama.”
One aspect of the show that the three actors are excited for audiences to experience are the details of the design, especially the great care given to creating authentic costumes. The show’s costume designer, Yslan Hicks, and her team have put in a good bit of research to what the actors should wear. Take, for example, Caleb’s Confederate uniform: According to Barry, the wool the coat is made from comes from the same factory that produced the wool for actual Confederate uniforms during the Civil War. “Putting that [coat] on and wearing that and feeling that unlocks so much,” Barry says. “It’s just incredibly authentic, and that does something for us — for myself, anyway, as an actor.”
But no matter what you go in to The Whipping Man expecting, know that this is a play that aims to challenge audiences, too. “It’s going to leave people thinking and it’s going to leave people talking,” Shepperd says. “The audience is going to have to work a little bit.”
Opening night of The Whipping Man is Friday. The show begins at 8 p.m. and will be followed by a post-show reception with the cast.
Because there is so much historical context to The Whipping Man, The Rep is offering quite a few special events in conjunction with the show’s run to give audiences a chance to connect with the piece outside of the theater. Planned special events are:
Pre-show director talks
Jan. 21-22, 6:15-6:45 p.m.
Join producing artistic director Bob Hupp and The Whipping Man’s creative team on set for pre-show talks.
Distinguished speaker series
Jan. 22, noon to 1 p.m.
The cast and Hupp engage in a panel discussion of The Whipping Man at the Clinton School of Public Service.
Discussion with Carl Moneyhon
Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m.
Carl Moneyhon, Civil War expert with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's history department, will discuss some of the historical context of The Whipping Man. Admission is free for members of The Rep and $10 for nonmembers.
Talk-back series
Jan. 29 and Feb. 5, 9:30 p.m.
The Rep invites audiences to stay after the production for discussion with the actors and creative teams.
Lunch ‘n’ Learn series at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Feb. 3, 11:30 a.m.
This panel discussion is part of a quarterly lunch series. The panel will consist of the cast of The Whipping Man along with Jim Pfeifer, with Bob Hupp moderating. Post-discussion, attendees are invited to tour Mosaic Templars’ exhibit titled Freedom! Oh, Freedom! Arkansas’ People of African Descent and the Civil War: 1861-1866. Drinks will be provided.
Live from Foster’s with Crossroads
Feb. 6, 6:30 p.m.
The Rep offers pre-show live music from the band Crossroads.
The After-Party
Feb. 7, 10:30 p.m.
Members of the cast will appear at Foster’s after the show to celebrate the end of The Whipping Man’s run at The Rep.