Garrett Turner ‘Dreams a World’

originally written for The Emory Wheel: Arts & Living (www.emorywheel.com)

15 February, 2011

Langston Hughes was a poet, an essayist, a novelist, an activist and, to College senior Garrett Turner, “an outright mystery”. Throughout the last year, Turner has lived Langston, writing and producing I Dream A World: The Life and Work of Langston Hughes, a play which premiered this weekend to a packed audience in Harland Cinema.

The play blended a variety of creative mediums — film, theater and song — to present a taste Hughes’ work in the span of one hour. Each section of the play dwells on a different aspect of Hughes’ life such as childhood, the Harlem days and finally, death. Turner doesn’t ask us to create a concrete image of Hughes but instead presents us with pieces of his life and works.

“It’s an innovative theater venture,” Turner said. “The reputation of poetry is the main vehicle for the show. It can be difficult to make dramatic action out of poetry.”

Yet, Turner’s script manages to do so by showcasing the stories behind Hughes’ poetry. One of the most interesting scenes in the play takes place in a Harlem club. The six cast members become different characters from Hughes’ poems about Harlem. They laugh, dance, drink and talk. The only dialogue in the scene is a series of Hughes’ Harlem poems, recited from one character to another as pick-up lines. Rather than create much new material, Turner presents his audience with a context for Hughes’ poems, creating scenes in which Hughes’ words would have been spoken.

Turner began dreaming his world of Hughes more than a year ago, as he searched for a suitable senior project.

“I’m a music major, but I’m also a spoken word artist, and I was really interested in creating some sort of pwoetry performance,” said Turner. “I was organically led to Hughes because his poetry is so musical, it really wants to be recited.”

Turner began to form a script, writing in and out of the blues and jazz idioms that were ever present in Hughes’ work.

“Originally it was going to be a one man show,” said Turner, “but after being encouraged to do so by Dr. Flannery, my advisor, I started reaching out to other people.”

Turner was awarded the SGA Cool Project Grant to fund the production. SIRE, Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts and the Ethics and Arts Society also supported the project.

“I was really looking for a project that melds together all of my artistic outputs and creative skills — music, theater, poetry, playwriting, singing and there’s even a point in the show where I dance,” said Turner.

As he delved into various mediums, Turner began to work with other creative Emory community members. Fellow cast member Breanna McDaniel brought the support and talent of AHANA Theater. Jazz pianist Michael Clanahan contributed a score to the production. Filmmaker Chris Rhodes produced a video of Hughes’ “Let America Be America Again,” where five diverse Emory students perform the poem.

“The production honored the unique spirit and legacy of a wonderful American novelist, poet, playwright and short story writer by integrating poetry, prose, music, film and drama to create a magical piece of art,” said audience member and College senior Noor Najafi.

Turner’s choice of works is as diverse as the ways he presents them. The production doesn’t confine itself to Hughes’ poetry.

Short stories were read, with characters on stage performing the dialogue. Turner included excerpts from Hughes’ essay, “A New N---o,” grounding the audience in facts as well as fiction.

“I wanted the audience to walk away being thoroughly intrigued and wanting more,” said Turner, “and hopefully, they’ll get a glimpse of the real essence of Langston. He’s a very complex figure, and often times we peg him as Harlem renaissance, blues and jazz, a symbol for black America. But there was much more going on with the man. And that’s what I want them to see.”