‘The True Measure of a Man’ explores the triumphs and tribulations of Black men

Blondell Reynolds Brown as the Narrator
Photo: A. Lewis

By A. Lewis

Family, resilience, and the realities of the Jim Crow South define the life of Willie Diggs in “The True Measure of a Man,” which opened May 28 at Venice Island Performing Arts Recreation Center in Manayunk. Written, directed, and produced by veteran WDAS-FM on-air radio personality Frankie Darcell, who also serves as founding producer of Diva At the Stage Door theater production company, the show follows Willie, a father, husband, and friend, on his quest to survive in a racist and hostile country.

This is just the kind of story audiences have insisted Darcell bring to the stage, after seeing her previous production “Conversations for Sistas Only,” which ran in Philadelphia last year.

“Many have said to me, ‘you wrote ‘Conversations for Sistas Only,’ when are you going to write something for Black men?’” Darcell said.

According to Darcell, another one of her previous stage productions, “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” by playwright Keenan Scott II, gave her the inspiration to bring Willie’s story to life.

“I do girly stuff,” she said. “I write about the Black woman’s experience in America, and last year when I tapped into “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” I thought, ‘Well, there’s not a lot of stories being told about the challenges of Black men in America and the joys of Black men in America.’”

Darcell also credits the cast, which included; Philadelphia City Councilmember Anthony Phillips, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D-8th Dist.) and former Philadelphia City Councilmember Derek Green for helping her shape this current production.

“Last year when I did “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” that’s what spawned it,” Darcell said. “I directed a whole cast of Black men, and then during those rehearsals, they started telling their stories.”

In the show, Vernon Keith Ruffin Jr. plays Willie, the central character that anchors the production. For Darcell, focusing her show on an ordinary man was essential because “the stories of the Willies, and the Johns, and the Kennys and the Jeffreys don’t get told,” she said. “There are Willies in households all over America that feel left out and I wanted to showcase that guy.”

Also featured in the cast is former Philadelphia City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown.

“As the narrator of this story, my role was to guide and take the audience into the life of a Black man in the 1960s,” Reynolds Brown said. “Willie, the main character, could have been any Black person, man or woman who struggled and sacrificed, but with his faith, pride, and family, his strength girded his unshakeable foundation to show up under all circumstances for his son and family.”

Reynolds Brown acknowledges taking the stage as an actor is new territory for her.

“I opened the play and set the tone as the first to speak on stage in my role as the storyteller. This was a tall order and admittedly, stressful,” she confessed. “I know that many professionals spend years being known for what they do. Finding, trying, and pursuing something entirely different allowed me to discover who I am beyond my career title for me.”

The show takes place in Ozark, Alabama during 1968, which is semi-autobiographical, since Darcell’s father is from the area.

“My dad was born in Ozark, Alabama, about 40-50 miles outside of Birmingham,” Darcell said.

While the production travels back in time to the late 60s, Willie’s struggles are far from ancient history. The show’s exploration of the traumas associated with living in a racist society feels as if it were written to mirror the modern political landscape. According to Darcell, during rehearsals, one cast member suggested, “it could be 2026,” while unpacking some of the challenges faced by Willie during the mid-20th century.

Darcell points to a disturbing modern parallel, noting that certain contemporary political figures actively desire a return to a pre-Civil Rights status quo.

“There are some liberties, some joys, some advancements we’ve made as Black folks in this country, but we recognize that there are people in positions in power and authority that would love to be able to revert back to 1968,” she said.

After the show, some members of the audience left the theater with a deeper level of empathy for the men in their lives. The production helped to illuminate some of the hidden challenges of Black fatherhood and forced some viewers to re-examine their own family dynamics.

“I’ve gotten some text messages and DMs from people,” Darcell said. Some have revealed to her, “You know I never thought that was my father’s story, I understand him better.”

Others, as Darcell notes, had light bulb moments of their fathers’ internal battles after the curtain went up.

“I didn’t realize my father probably needed some mental health services, he didn’t know how to cope,” another theatergoer shared with her.

For Darcell, these candid responses make it all worthwhile, because one of her goals as a playwright is to hold up a mirror to the audience.

“I hope they saw themselves or someone they know and better understood them on the way home,” she said.

The family dynamics in this production also resonated with Reynolds Brown, who saw similarities between her own mother and Willie, saying that “like Willie, my Mom exuded strength and courage. Courage doesn’t always boast or brag.”

With a widely successful radio career under her belt, Darcell is poised for a stage career that shines just as bright. She has produced 80 shows, written two plays and planned to bring this production to other cities, especially in media markets where she is on the airwaves.

“I would love to be able to take these stories on the road to other communities,” Darcell said. “Radio is my life and has been for 40 years, but this second half of my life, I have more leaves on the ground than on the tree. I get to live both my passions. When the time comes, I don’t want my story to be what I didn’t get the chance to do.”

For more information, contact:
WDAS-FM (@wdasfm) – Instagram
WDAS FM Philly | Facebook
http://FrankieDarcell.net
Frankie Darcell (@frankiedarcell) – Instagram
Frankie Darcell (@FrankieDarcellpage2) – Facebook