Spike Lee's developed something of a liking for adapting the work of playwright/actor Roger Guenveur Smith – he's brought two projects to life based on his one-man stage plays, and now he'll bring a third to the screen with Frederick Douglass Now.
Born in 1818, Douglass was one of the most extraordinary figures in US history: a self-liberated slave, orator, publisher, and pioneering feminist who pleaded the case for abolition before Abraham Lincoln and made plans with the President for moving freed slaves to the North during the Civil War.
Smith’s one-man show begins with the actor rapping from his own text, mashing up references to slavery and contemporary life in the U.S. The performance then segues to Smith quoting extracts from Douglass’ essays and letters, and returns to Smith’s own writing for the finale, during which he sings: "If there is no progress, Frederick Douglass is still alive." The actor's connection to Lee stretches back even further than the stage adaptations, as he's played roles in 10 of his movies, kicking off with 1988's School Daze.
Lee's most recent release was BlacKkKlansman, and he's got a variety of projects in development. Smith will next be see in I'll See You Around and cop thriller Hollow Point.
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