Mulatto

About the show

Act One On the Norwood Plantation in Polk County, Georgia, Colonel Thomas Norwood (described by Hughes as a "plantation owner, a still vigorous man of about sixty") and Cora Lewis ("a brown woman in her forties who has kept the house and been the mistress of Colonel Norwood for some thirty years") have four children together. They are: William, who still lives on the plantation and who has a son of his own; two daughters, Bertha and Sallie, who are light enough to pass for white; and Robert, a.k.a. Bert, who is 18 and who has Norwood's facial features. Robert has been away at an all-Colored school since he was a young boy and is visiting the plantation for the first time in many years. In Act One, we learn through a conversation between Mr. Higgins and Colonel Norwood that Robert, or Bert, has been refusing to follow all the expected behaviors for Mulatto people and has been asserting himself as Norwood's heir, much to the shock of the local townspeople. Norwood is angered by this assertion. The conversation between the two plantation owners also gives insight to the perspective and lifestyle of these characters. Cora, meanwhile, is revealed to have secretly sent her daughters to secretarial school, so that they can move up north and have good jobs, but has been telling the Colonel that they are learning to be cooks. It is also revealed through a conversation between William and Cora that Bert was the Colonel's favorite of all the children he fathered with Cora, until Bert called him "papa" which resulted in Norwood severely beating Bert when he was seven. This led to the decision for Norwood to send Bert off to school. This only emboldened Bert further, as he witnessed the better treatment of Black folks in the Northern states. Act One concludes with Cora expressing concern to Bert over his behavior, when the Colonel enters. Bert rebelliously exits through the front door, which enrages the Colonel. Then the curtain falls. Act Two Scene 1: Cora calls in Robert and leaves him alone to speak with Norwood. Norwood tells Robert he is to leave his property for his behavior, bringing out his pistol as a threat. Norwood tells Robert that his overseer Talbot and the storekeeper are coming to ensure that Robert leaves. Robert and Norwood get into a heated argument that ends with Robert strangling Norwood and taking his gun. Cora comes in and tells Robert to run away as he will most certainly be executed when found. When Talbot and the storekeeper arrive at the house and find Norwood's corpse they call for help and immediately begin a search for Robert. The scene concludes with a monologue from Cora lamenting what transpired between Robert and Norwood. She speaks to Norwood's corpse and scolds him for never acknowledging Bert as his son, and for not being able to protect him now. She curses him and blames him for Robert's life currently being in danger. Scene 2: Sam leads the undertaker into the house to retrieve Colonel Norwood's body, and demands Cora to get him a drink. Cora refuses claiming she only takes orders from Norwood, to the astonishment of Sam. The undertaker's helper (a voice offstage) convinces him to leave the premises and join the mob in search for Robert. After they leave Sam realizes he has an opportunity to escape and seizes it. William decides to leave the property, fearful of getting caught up in the violence of the mob hunting Robert. He asks Cora to go with them but she refuses and stays behind to wait for Robert. Cora is clearly unstable and throughout the scene, she speaks to Norwood as if he were alive and in the room with her. She reflects upon her relationship with the Colonel, from the first time they laid together, to her becoming his pseudo wife. She then speaks about the children she bore with him, focusing on Robert. She tells Colonel Norwood he died the day that he beat Robert for calling him papa. Robert shows up back at the house, the sounds of the lynch mob close behind. He goes upstairs and wishes his mother goodnight. He kills himself with the Colonel's gun as the mob breaks into the house to seize him.