With its sinister hints of Adam-and-Eve symbolism, “Dutchman” is a daring and thought-provoking ritual drama that indicates Soul Siren Playhouse is a new group with something to say.
The gritty and raw one-act is now playing at the well-appointed Greenfinch Theatre (formerly the Way Out Club), the newest performing space in St. Louis. The intimate setting lends itself to focus on the two bravura performances by Cameron Jamarr and Eileen Engel.
Written by Amiri Baraka, aka poet activist LeRoi Jones, he had much to say about black men in ‘60s society during the heightened civil rights struggle. With its themes of racism, sexism, and discrimination, it may make people uncomfortable, but its intention is to start a dialogue, and that’s necessary.
Soul Siren’s co-directors – Jamarr, Engel, Bradford Rolen and Zahria Moore — unpacks the complexities of this revolutionary play related to bias, stereotypes, race relations in America and our social responsibility as bystanders. An interactive dramaturgy display designed by Moore is at the back of the room and illuminating the period that influenced Baraka – beat poets, emerging black artists and the avant-garde movement in a vibrant Greenwich Village.
Photo by Zak Littrell
Fast forward to the 21st century, and divisions, misinformation and social media outrage fan flames that point out that we have a long way to go towards understanding common humanity.
Jamarr and Engel are fearless in undertaking this challenging work, which is as disturbing as it was in 1964. Bakara boldly presented a distinct sociological situation, heavy on symbolism, to propel audiences into action, and the pair convey the intensity required. It’s quite the tango.
The first slave-bearing ship to America was from the Dutch, and Bakara also references the legend of “The Flying Dutchman,” a doomed ship cursed with never finding safe harbor.
In describing his short play’s metaphorical setting, Bakara wrote: “In the flying underbelly of the city, steaming hot and summer on top, outside. Underground. The subway heaped in modern myth.”
Rolen’s scenic design puts us on the subway car, and Lenny Banks’ lighting design sets the mood well. De’Janna Scales-Hand’s sound design has enhanced the experience too.
Jamarr is an unsuspecting sharp-dressed man named Clay on a mass transit train who encounters a mysterious white woman, Lula, who looks like a wild flower-child dressed in Bohemian attire. Unfiltered, Lula is obviously trying to seduce the man, who is at first wary, but then gives in to the temptation.
Engel’s character is no hippy-dippy chick, although she looks like a poster-girl for 1967’s “Summer of Love.” Presenting herself as a flirty seductress with a good time on her mind, she slowly indicates her intensions are not noble.
Calculating, with a maniacal unhinged laugh, Lula tries to manipulate, but Clay is no push-over. An eerie aspect is that Lula seems to know things about Clay and that is both mysterious and unsettling.
The confrontations become emotionally charged, compelling in a horror-movie jump-scare kind of way. This collision course of a play, unpredictable and with actions unexpected, will linger. It’s certain to spark conversations.
Photo by Zak Littrell.
That, of course, was Baraka’s point. The fact that we can still talk about social injustice in a meaningful way is a unifying message, but it also points out that much more change is needed.
This production takes a timeless approach to the story – a cell-phone! – as the play will celebrate its 60th anniversary next month, of its premiere off-Broadway in March 1964 It won the Obie Award for Best Play that year.
The cast includes Jeremy Thomas and alternate DeAnte Bryant as the conductor and an annoying drunk passenger, and Donald Kidd in a brief role.
Racially explicit language is used, and physical violence is part of the piece.
One can see and feel the passion and commitment involved in this well-produced show, and I look forward to seeing what’s next on their schedule.
Soul Siren Playhouse presents Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” Feb. 1 through Feb. 18 at Greenfinch Theatre and Dive Bar on 2525 South Jefferson. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday two shows – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The cost is free (donations can be made), but RSVPs are necessary. For more information: www.playsiren.com
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
By Lynn Venhaus Seeking his own creative lane in St. Louis, multi-hyphenate Cameron Jamarr Davis is making some noise as founding artistic director of Soul Siren Playhouse, whose inaugural production is Amira Baraka’s “Dutchman.”
The 60-year-old revolutionary play is running from Feb. 1 to Feb. 18 at the new venue, Greenfinch Theater and Dive.
An American nonprofit arts and cultural enrichment organization committed to social outreach, activism, and artistic development through the medium of dramatic and artistic expression, Soul Siren Playhouse aims to challenge and provoke thought, thus change, through artistic exploration and dramatic encounters — while holding space for safe, civil, proactive communication and collaboration on polarizing issues, he said.
The past five years have been a journey for Cameron. “One riddled with lessons, setbacks, successes, and various trials of patience, determination and faith,” he said.
After starting Soul Siren in Los Angeles in 2019, he relocated back to St. Louis and weathered the pandemic. In 2022, he was named a directing fellow at St Louis Shakespeare Festival and played James Hewlett, the first black Shakespearean actor in the U.S., in “The African Company Presents Richard III” at The Black Rep..
In 2023, he won the St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Drama, Male or Non-Binary Role, for that role.
Cameron Jamarr Davis as James Hewlett, the first black Shakespearean actor in the U.S. Photo by Phillip Hamer.
He also portrayed Hector MacQueen in “Murder on the Orient Express” at The Rep and was the cop, among other roles, in “Clue” at Stages St. Louis.
“Clue” and “Murder on the Orient Express” are both nominated for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy, and “Clue” leads all St. Louis Theater Circle Awards nominations with 11. (Ceremony on March 25).
“Cameron said “Clue” was the highlight of 2023 on stage for him.
“It was one of those productions that actors dream to be a part of because it was the definition of ‘theater magic’ — all the elements came together so perfectly, you could feel the pure, unrelenting joy that the audience was experiencing. That, in turn, reminded me of the joy I experience onstage as an actor, and the gift of light that theater is capable of bringing to people’s lives,” he said.
“To work with such skilled, hilarious actors, I was on stage legit trying not to break every night. And would bow at the end of every performance not only taking pride in what I do, but beaming with sincere joyfulness. That show truly was a gift, and redeemed something for me I didn’t know I needed,” he said.
The cast of “Clue” at Stages St. Louis, with Cameron third from left. Phillip Hamer photo.
Davis is currently an artist-in-residence at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and has rebuilt Soul Siren from the ground up, along with a collective of committed artisans. He is a graduate of Clayton High School and earned a BFA in Dramatic Performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.
For Soul Siren’s first show, Cameron wanted to celebrate the timeless artistry of “Dutchman.” When he read it in college, he identified with its passion, rawness and abstract chaotic nature.
“Unfiltered and unapologetic, Baraka’s writing sirens the soul of the artist as strongly as it does the revolutionary,” he said.
He describes the 65-minute show as an emotionally charged and highly symbolic version of the Adam and Eve story, where an unsuspecting black man is encountered by a mysterious and calculating white seductress alone on an underground train.. It won the Obie Award for Best Play in 1964.
“The show is gritty, raw, and provocative. It is a clear affirmation of a counter-cultural identity that demands to be seen, felt, heard and understood,” he said.
“We aim to assume a timeless approach to this story that is coming upon the 60th Anniversary of its premiere off-Broadway in March 1964. We also have an interactive dramaturgy display, educating audiences on the playwright, the Black Arts Movement of the 70’s, and the genre of beat poetry, which came about at this time that also has influence on the play’s script,” he said.
Cameron Jamarr as Clay and Eileen Engel as Lula in “Dutchman.” Photo by Zak Littrell.
“A provocative drama that rests between allegory and realism, I believe the danger of this play lies in its fearless attempt to explore what lies at the heart of America’s subconscious and collective identity. Its subterranean setting grants two complete strangers the freedom to encounter their hidden natures as well as one another. A clamorous racing train serves as the vessel for its action as well as the thoughts of its passionate playwright,” he said.
“Though Baraka, the individual, does not fully represent the philosophy, truth, and ideals of Soul Siren Playhouse; the fearless and socially conscious instincts represented in ‘Dutchman’ speak directly to the foundation of our goals as a cultural institution,” he explained.
“We want to facilitate community dialogue on the challenging questions the play continues to present, Our intention is to unify, harmonize and most importantly, entertain, with this bold, challenging story,” he said.
The cast features Cameron Jamarr, Eileen Engel, Jeremy Thomas and alternates DeAnte Bryant and Donald Kidd in a brief role. The creative team includes Scenic Design by Bradford Rolen, Lighting Design by Lenny Banks, Sound Design and Hair Design by De’Janna Scales-Hand, and Dramaturgy by Zahria Moore. Bradford Rolen is also the Stage Manager. The show was co-directed by Cameron, Eileen, Rolen and Moore.
So far, the word he hears most from audiences is “unexpected.” You’ll want to join the conversation.
Soul Siren Playhouse presents Amiri Baraka’s “Dutchman” through Feb. 18 at Greenfinch Theatre and Dive Bar on 2525 South Jefferson, St. Louis.
Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday two shows – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The cost is free (donations can be made), but RSVPs are necessary. For RSVPs/tickets, visit: https://a.purplepass.com/organizer/67544
For more information: www.playsiren.com.
There will be talkbacks following the shows Thursday 2/8 and 2/15.
Our Take Ten Q&A with Cameron Jamarr Davis
1. What is special about your latest project?
“Our first show ‘Dutchman’ has been five years in the making to get to this point, and we have made personal history by presenting our inaugural production as a black inspired theater company on the first day of Black History Month.”
2. Why did you choose your profession/pursue the arts?
“It very much chose me. I was torn between going to college to study acting professionally or pursuing a degree in English. After inadvertently booking my first professional gig at 17 with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival in “Richard lll,” I took that as a sign to pursue the arts as a professional actor.”
3. How would your friends describe you? Passionate. Loving. Crazy. Soulful. Intelligent. Wild.
Portraying Richard III and the actor James Hewlett at The Black Rep. Phillip Hamer photo.
4. How do you like to spend your spare time? Baking. Writing. Learning how to DJ. Plotting how to take over the world.
5. What is your current obsession? Creating my own professional, creative lane in this city.
6. What would people be surprised to find out about you? I’ve had the honor of dining with Prime Ministers of the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya. Good God, the food was incredible!
7. Can you share one of your most defining moments in life? Unexpectedly losing my mom at the age of 24. Until then, I’d taken so much of my life, life in general, for granted. In light of her death, I was forced to choose new Life.
8. Who do you admire most? My friends. Their resilience. Their loyalty. The capacity and magnitude of their hearts.
9. What is at the top of your bucket list? Participation in a traditional ayahuasca ceremony led by an indigenous shaman.
The cast of “Murder on the Orient Express” at The Rep. Davis, fifth from right, played Hector MacQueen, the personal secretary and translator to Samuel Ratchett, who is murdered (spoiler alert). Photo by Phillip Hamer.
10. How were you affected by the pandemic years, and anything you would like to share about what got you through, and any lesson learned during the isolation periods? Any reflections on how the arts were affected? And what it means to move forward?
If it weren’t for the pandemic I probably would not have moved back to St. Louis. Sustaining myself creatively was essential in navigating and enduring the uncertainties of the pandemic. In this time I learned patient persistence and the power of the pivot. I created a spoken word album and decided to relocate to St. Louis to restart Soul Siren Playhouse from the ground up, yet did not want to produce theater that required mask mandates. I watched theater become an unidentifiable shadow of itself; actors and audiences in masks, plus various barriers between Art, the Artist and Community. I watched art become increasingly self-serving as a means of survival.
Moving forward I believe that theater’s primary objective should be to entertain, and to be of service to its local community via artistic expression or creative intent (free tickets, child care at shows, pay with a can performances to support food banks, etc). I believe theater can take a greater responsibility in the role of social elevation and enrichment. How can theater meet the needs of audiences and return value as opposed to the self-serving nature of exploitation I commonly see as a detriment.
11. What is your favorite thing to do in St. Louis? Grocery shop at Soulard Market on Saturday mornings.
12. What’s next? Developing my one-man show, “Death Jam” as an Artist in Residence with the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.
With the cast of “Clue,” at left, as a police officer, at Stages St Louis last summer. Phillip Hamer photo.
More About Cameron Jamarr Davis
Age: 33 Birthplace: St. Louis, Current location: St. Louis Family: Only Child / Fairy God Cousin / Cool “Uncle” with no kids or siblings Education: BFA Dramatic Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Day job: Substitute Teacher, Clayton School District First job: Busser/Dishwasher, Outback Steakhouse (age 16) First movie you were involved in or made: “Fenced Off” – Rebel Pilgrim Productions in Cincinnati, Ohio Favorite jobs/roles/plays or work in your medium? Oberon in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” / Leontes + The Bear in “A Winter’s Tale “/ Kendrick Lamar in Lil Wayne’s “Mona Lisa” Dream job/opportunity: Producing Artistic Director of my own theater company Awards/Honors/Achievements: 2023 STL Theater Circle Winner (Best supporting actor in a drama for “The African Company Presents Richard lll” at the STL Black Rep), 2024 Artist in Residence of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, 2022 Directing Fellow with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, 2023 Community Arts Training (CAT) Cohort Favorite quote/words to live by: call it our craziness even, call it anything. it is the life thing in us that will not let us die… it is the light in us it is the light of us it is the light… – Lucille Clifton, “Roots” A song that makes you happy: “Built for Greatness” – Marieme Marieme is a Soul Siren Playhouse board member and this song is featured as a promo for Michelle Obama’s Netflix special. This song is GREAT and will make anyone feel like they can conquer anything.
Eileen Engel, Bradford Lewis Rolen, and Cameron Jamarr Davis. Photo provided.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.
