Henry Bain's New Albany: Finally, a genuine Bicentennial triumph.

We caught the Sunday afternoon matinee of Henry Bain's New Albany, as performed at St. Mark's. As I strongly suspected going in, the play is an undisputed high point of the "paint by numbers in shades of muted beige" bicentennial celebration we've been forced to endure in 2013.

It's worth noting that in Larry Muhammad's script, African-American characters in the year 1913 find themselves excluded from the centennial planning process, and respond by devising their own civic birthday celebration.

Was the committee of officious commissars in 2013 any more representative than those of 1913? Judge for yourself. The current century's insular group of civic pillars arguably includes more women and African-Americans, but its special bureaucratic talent has been the exclusion en masse of differing ideas and their troublesome bearers.

Seeing as NAC persists in dating New Albany's founding not from the arrival of the Scribners, but the town's legal incorporation in 1817, this means we have ample time to plan The Peoples Bicentennial, to be observed in 2017. Meanwhile, here's a snippet from the play ...

Great Day Live Video: "Henry Bain's New Albany"(WHAS)

 ... and one recipe for mimicking the famous Henry Bain sauce.

Henry Bain sauce is a sweet-sour-spicy beef sauce invented by a maitre d' at Louisville's all-male Pendennis Club in the early 20th century.

· 1 (17-ounce) jar Major Grey's chutney
· 1/2 of 9-ounce jar imported pickled walnuts (optional, see note)
· 1 (14-ounce) bottle ketchup
· 1 (11-ounce) bottle A-1 Steak Sauce
· 1 (10-ounce) bottle Worcestershire sauce
· 1 (12-ounce) bottle chili sauce
· Tabasco, to taste

Put the chutney and walnuts, if using, in a blender and chop fine or puree as you prefer (you'll need to stop and stir). Combine with other ingredients and season to taste with Tabasco.

Makes 4 pints.

Serve with hot or cold roast beef. Spread on beef sandwiches, serve with pot roast, etc. Also good served with cream cheese as a cracker spread.

Note: Pickled walnuts are recommended in the Henry Bain sauce recipe in``The Farmington Cookbook,'' but not in recipes written by former Louisville food writers Cissy Gregg and Marion Flexner.

Support rare Bicentennial usefulness: "Henry Bain's New Albany" performances coming on November 15, 16 and 17.

Back in August, we posted the casting call: Audition: Multiracial cast of 10 actors needed for “Henry Bain’s New Albany”. Now the production is ready to open, and I'm struck by one utter coincidence.

Aficionados of British television's Rumpole of the Bailey will recall Samuel Ballard, the Head of Chambers and frequent victim of Rumpole's rapier wit (from Wikipedia).

Samuel Ballard (Peter Blythe) (Series 3-7): Head of Chambers in later series; a very pious and priggish person. Rumpole refers to him as "Soapy Sam" which is an allusion to a much parodied nineteenth-century Bishop of Winchester, and generally addresses him as "Bollard". Later became a judge in the ecclesiastical courts, while maintaining his role as head of chambers.

Look at the characters listed below, and there it is: Samuel Ballard, played not by Peter Blythe, by our very own bookseller, Randy Smith.

Yes, I know: Different continent, different production, different author ... whatever. This shall not prevent me from addressing Randy as Soapy Sam.

You have been forewarned.

Now for the details about the play, and a genuinely useful Bicentennial occurrence amid so much forgettable pablum.

Henry Bain's New Albany on Facebook

STAGE ON SPRING
St. Mark's United Church of Christ
222 E. Spring St., New Albany, IN

$10 general admission
For tickets call 502-380-6569

November 15, 16 and 17
Nov. 15 and 16 7:30
Nov. 17 2:30 and 7:30

Jambo Everyone! I've been raving about the talented actors portraying historical figures in HENRY BAIN'S NEW ALBANY, our docudrama about the charmingly old fashioned Southern Indiana city and it's African-American community, 50 years up from slavery. You know 'em, you love 'em, you can get enough of 'em -- And Here They Are!

Frank Goodloe is Henry Bain

Alexandria Sweatt is Fannie Wiley

Sherrick O'Quinn is Roland Hayes

Randy Smith is Samuel Thruston Ballard

Karen Hunter is Lucy Higgs Nichols

Tamika McDonald is Daisy Bain

Reed Wrege is C.C. Mengel Jr.

Erica Denise is Pearl Johnson

Ogen Buckner is Joseph Wiley

Michael Sands is Henry Watterson

Headwaiter at the venerable Pendennis Club and a member of Louisville, Ky.’s black aristocracy in the early 20th century, Henry Bain marries New Albany socialite Daisy Welch and sets up house across the Ohio River. He adjusts uneasily to small-town life. The daily streetcar ride back and forth to work annoys him. His residency and business interests in New Albany -- he co-founds the city's first Negro manufacturing company -- cast doubt on his loyalty to Louisville high society. But under Daisy's patient tutelage he succumbs to New Albany's charms, learns of its abolitionist heritage and racial progress that rivals the larger Louisville's, although he is tested when a Pendennis Club event falls on the same day his wife is hosting a party to celebrate the 100th birthday of her beloved hometown.

A love note to New Albany during its bicentennial and docudrama about its African-American community, 50 years up from slavery.

Proud recipient of the Arts Council of Southern Indiana Thomas Keith Peterson Fellowship

Audition: Multiracial cast of 10 actors needed for “Henry Bain’s New Albany”

This is the single most exciting New Albany Bicentennial development to date, with the vintage baseball event coming second. Thanks to Larry Muhammad for forwarding this information.

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AUDITION
6 pm to 9 pm Saturday August 10
St. Mark’s United Church of Christ
222 East Spring St.
New Albany, IN

Multiracial cast of 10 actors needed for “Henry Bain’s New Albany”, a play by Larry Muhammad directed by J.R. Stuart, a New Albany Bicentennial event.

A docudrama of New Albany’s black community in 1913, 50 years up from slavery, starring Henry Bain, the venerable Pendennis Club headwaiter, creator of its famous meat sauce who also was an influential Hoosier.

Seven black characters
(4 female)
DAISY, early 30s; FANNIE, 30s; PEARL, early 20s; AUNT LUCY, 70s.
(3 male)
HENRY, late 40s; JOSEPH, early 40s; ROLAND, early 20s (NOTE: Roland must sing a 2-minute classical music composition a cappella.)

Three white characters
(All male)
BALLARD, 50s; MENGEL, 50s; WATTERSON, 50s.

Please bring resume and headshot. Be prepared to recite a 1-minute monologue from memory and read cold from “Henry Bain” script.

DIRECTIONS from Louisville: I-64 West across the Sherman Minton Bridge, take the first exit, 123. You’ll be on Elm Street. Go to Third Street, take a right, one block to Spring Street, and St. Mark’s is across the street to your right, parking lot on your left.

INFORMATION:
J.R. Stuart
jronstage(at)aol(dot)com

Larry Muhammad
ahhcisco(at)yahoo(dot)com