The play features the Nigerian-born writer, actor and producer as Robeson, the accomplished but largely unknown advocate of the civil rights movement, who was also a famous singer.
Aluko, who until recently worked as an architect, became inspired to tell the Robeson's story after a chance encounter with a woman who informed him that his baritone voice reminded her of Robeson's famous bass voice. After researching Robeson's biography, Aluko wanted to inform the world of Robeson's underappreciated genius, he said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"I thought it was incredible that such a man had lived and achieved so much in the not-so-distant past," Aluko said. "I felt that the things that he stood for and the things that he did in his lifetime were very inspiring, very good things, that a lot of people could learn from."
While he is first and foremost praised as a singer, Robeson's long list of accomplishments ranges from academic he earned degrees from Rutgers University and Columbia Law School to his ascension to fame in the theatrical world, according to Aluko. Despite all of his successes, it was Robeson's dedication and persistence as a global civil rights activist that captured Aluko's attention and was the focus of Tuesday's performance.
"It would be natural for anyone with that much talent to simply devote to his own money and fame for himself," Aluko said. "But he decided that he had no alternative to speak out for the things that he believes regardless of the consequences. That to me is very inspiring. I always say the world would be a much better place if more famous people were prepared to be like Paul Robeson."
Aluko's precise, calculated movements throughout the performance in his sharp, double-breasted grey suit, along with his powerful vocals, evoked a range of reactions from members of the audience, who could be heard gasping, laughing and even sniffling throughout the 90-minute performance.
Aluko's reenactment of Robeson's performance of the song "Ol' Man River," which Robeson sang before a crowd of 20000 in 1936, was particularly poignant. Aluko's reenactment captured Robeson's anxiety about performing in front of a large audience and his fear caused by racially-motivated death threats, which he received because of his activism.
The combination of the piano accompaniment, performed by Michael Conliffe, and exhaustive sound bytes added a real-life dimension to Aluko's performance, and it became easy to forget that he was simply an embodiment of Robeson and not the real person.
The frustration and exasperation of participants in the civil rights movement was depicted vivaciously through Robeson's struggles, as Aluko parallels his racial hardships with themes of life and death. Although the point that Robeson was a great orator and activist is made known early on, the play remains refreshingly honest and refrains from becoming preachy.
The title of the play, "Call Mr. Robeson," references Robeson's appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities for his alleged involvement with the Communist Party, according to Aluko. The play makes it clear that Robeson stood for equality, and his attraction to communist countries such as the Soviet Union was simply a reflection of his positive, egalitarian experiences while he visited the country, Aluko said.
"He firmly believed at the time that the idea of Communism or socialism, whereby the resources of the world or of any state are shared equally among all its people, is one that many people today still feel is worth trying for, " Aluko said.
In the program notes was a message from Aluko that documented his recent stay with a member of the Occupy Boston movement while on tour. The Occupy protester had recently been arrested for partaking in a sit-down in the lobby of a Boston bank.
While Aluko does not compare the incident to the sit-down protests of the 1960s, Aluko does mention them, especially the actions of Rosa Parks, to highlight his main belief in fighting for justice and peace.
"Robeson would have supported the [Occupy movement] if he were around today, and it's great to see the movement is literally worldwide," Aluko said.
While Robeson does not share King's national spotlight, Aluko believes the holiday can also serve as an important way to pay homage to other influential leaders.
"I'm glad for the opportunity to use Dr. Martin Luther King Day as a way of reminding of other people who went before Dr. King, and what they said," Aluko said. "The job is by no means finished, and people must come together."
While one-man shows certainly leave much room for vulnerability, Aluko's portrayal of Robeson commanded the audience's attention even though Aluko's talent simply cannot match the obvious enormity of Robeson's character. It is through Aluko's passion for the multi-talented activist, however, that the audience is left enraptured and inspired, as displayed by Tuesday audience, during which members hummed along to the music and even shed tears.
Aluko's performance will run again tonight at 7 p.m. in Bentley.
