Not too long ago I went to the Macaulay building to listen to David Mills’ presentation of Langston Hughes’ poetry and a short story.
The story was of a southern preacher who was consumed with greed and wished to perform a false miracle to seem like a saint.
He asked for the help of one of the nuns which whom he is having an affair.
He also asked for the help of one of the men from the choir, a man who he was not aware had a relationship with the nun that ended in heartbreak. The “miracle” he wanted to perform was a fake crucifixion by nailing in between his fingers and be reborn the next day.
The choirman let his envy get the better of him and actually nails into the preachers arms and crucifies him.
Mills contorted his face and changed his voice to speak from the perspective of every character. He finished his one man show with a dramatic reading of Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred.”
Hughes presents an interesting idea; what happens to dead dreams? It is an artist’s job to give life to art and a person’s job to give life to dreams. Death would seem like a negative entity but also as new life.
