The turning point of this production, perhaps the segue into act two, is when Johnnie's father anoints his head with Crisco oil before he heads off to his fancy new (and don't forget secular!) governmental job in the Big City. Perhaps it could start out as a moving duet between a son and his elderly, obviously insane father, but then swells into a black gospel production that will have the whole audience dancing in the isles.

Until the actor playing Ashcroft's father starts screaming for those "Damn negroes" to stop their racket and get out of his house, that is.