Arts

Man fights many battles

by Jules Becker
Wednesday Nov 28, 2018

Man in the Ring, Huntington Theatre Company at Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, through December 22.617-933-8600, 617-266-0800 or bostontheatrescene.com

Emile Griffith was a legendary fighter, but his inner bout may have been the most important one of his life. The black St. Thomas, American Virgin Islands boxer (1936-2013) won six championships stretching from welterweight and junior middleweight classes to middleweight class yet his most formidable conflict may have involved his sexuality. Griffith nevertheless determined to transcend prejudice and homophobia and lived a life of fulfillment.

Originally a would-be hat maker, professional singer and baseball player, 'natural' Griffith became an assured boxer under the guidance of promoter/co-trainer Howie Albert and his colleague Gil Clancy. New England actor Gordon Clapp (with homes in Vermont and Massachusetts) recently offered, "I think Gil actually said that Griffith was run by an Irishman (Clancy himself) and a Jew (Albert)."

Clapp—best known for his longtime role in "NYPD Blue"—is playing Albert in Huntington Theatre Company's area premiere of "Man in the Ring"(in previews at press time)—an award-winning 2016 Michael Cristofer drama (the 2017 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award and American Theatre Critics Association Award, both for new play) which he called "a poeticized version of Griffith's life."

Actually, Clapp explained, the play's Albert is a composite of Howie and Gil. "I know that Michael has taken certain liberties," he admitted. Still, Clapp called the part "a great supporting role." Quite simply, he offered, "He (Albert) ended up taking care of him (Emile)." In the play, Albert stresses the need for Griffith to be strong and tough and to never bend. At the same time, "The whole play," he noted, "is framed in the day that Emile met Benny Paret, Jr. He (Emile) basically tells his whole life story through his (Emile's) memory."

The story moves between old Emile, who puts a shoe in the refrigerator, and Young Emile, who meets eventual partner Luis at a gay bar. For his part, Bronx native Luis finds Young Emile exciting and patiently cares for dementia-stricken 70 year old Emile, who has trouble putting on shirts and jackets as well as shoes.

At some moments, Young Emile embraces his sexuality (speaking of liking both men and women) with joy and acceptance—particularly with Luis; at others, the vulnerable boxer fears that the Devil controls his impulses. During the weigh-in scene, Paret taunts Griffith with the epithet 'maricon'(Spanish slang for 'faggot'). That gay bashing probably contributed to an ultimately lethal 12th round Griffith pounding from which Paret died 10 days later.

Albert stuck with volatile Griffith, who of course never intended to throw killer punches. Regarding the co-manager's approach to the boxer's career, Clapp reflected, "He (Albert)'s taking care of him but he has to be sort of cold in the way he does that."

That coldness involves Albert's pragmatic take about Griffith's sexual orientation. Speaking of the "dark side of their relationship," Clapp said, "Albert was in denial about Griffith's sexuality. He said that part of his (Griffith's) life could not be part of his boxing life. For Howie, in this world, a man is a man. He's not intending to be cruel but it's a survivor thing."

Under the guidance of Broadway director Michael Greif ("Rent," "Dear Evan Hansen") gifted actor John Douglas Thompson (Louis Armstrong in "Satchmo" and several title roles—Othello, for example—in Shakespearean tragedies) plays Emile, and Kyle Vincent Terry Young Emile. Victor Almanzar is Emile's partner and caregiver Luis. Starla Benford plays Emile's caring mother Emelda and Krystal Joy Brown his wife Sadie. Sean Boyce John has the role of rival boxer Paret. Look for body language and fight choreography from movement coordinator Malayka Reid.