The play begins with a 64-year-old retired African American
bellhop, Clancy Hope, reminiscing about a meeting he witnessed in 1947, when he was 17 years old. The play then
flashes back to that earlier time. The majority of the action is set in a
New York hotel room in the spring of 1947, and the action spans a couple of hours.
Branch Rickey, the owner of the
Brooklyn Dodgers, has called a meeting with four prominent African Americans to discuss breaking the
color barrier in
MLB. The invitees were
Jackie Robinson, boxer
Joe Louis, singer and actor
Paul Robeson, and
Bill Robinson, famed for his persona as the tap-dancing "Bojangles". The play's characters - except for Hope - are all real historical figures, but such a meeting never actually took place. The central narrative is that Rickey has decided to invite Jackie Robinson to join the
Brooklyn Dodgers (Robinson, at this point in time, is already on the Montreal
minor league team) and wants the invitees' support to help him address the controversy he knows will ensue. The invitees, especially Robeson, are suspicious of Rickey's motives, wondering if he is more motivated by profit than altruism. Robeson and Robinson are also concerned about the inevitable death of
black-owned black baseball teams that they know will not be able to compete with MLB, fearing that without teams of their own, black players will be at the mercy of white owners and fans who do not respect them. The invitees, except Robinson, are in the midst of personal conflicts, such as career declines, that add to the drama. Finally, Joe Louis, who has had a passive role throughout the play, breaks the impasse with a surprising move.
Characters • Clancy Hope, elder - A retired bellhop at the Hotel Roosevelt in midtown Manhattan, New York • Clancy Hope, younger - A bellhop at the Hotel Roosevelt in midtown Manhattan, New York •
Branch Rickey - The President and General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and an advocate of breaking the "color line" in professional sports •
Jackie Robinson -
Infielder for the
Montreal Royals, selected as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball •
Joe Louis - 1946
World Heavyweight Boxing Champion •
Paul Robeson - Renowned artist, singer, actor, political activist •
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson - Called the "King of Tap Dance", a famous entertainer and part owner of a baseball team in the
Negro leagues ==See also==