'Ceremonies in Dark Old Men;' an American classic floats, never soars: Review
"Ceremonies in Old Dark Men," about a widowed barber and his grown children trying to survive in 1950s Harlem, premiered off-Broadway in 1969 and is now considered an American classic often compared to Lorraine Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun." It's a rare thrill to see a production of Elder's droll, wistful mediation on the corrosive effects of racism and self-delusion, even a mediocre one.