The National Black Touring Company?s Production of Shauneille Perry?s play ?Things of the Heart? truly succeeds in moving the story of Marian Anderson from our past to the heart of our present.

The play, written in the format of a docudrama for the stage, sets out to tell the story of the world-renowned contralto. Moving us from her humble beginnings at a local church in Philadelphia, on through the expansion of her career into Europe and her triumphant yet bittersweet return in the late 1930s to the still racial tense atmosphere of her home, the United States.

The play, using only four actors to bring to life Anderson?s story, moved gracefully like Marian herself. Gary E. Vincent sparkled on stage playing characters as diverse as Anderson?s first accompanist, a charitable church preacher, and the prideful Paul Robeson.

Anne Dupont grounded the play despite conjuring a multitude of characters; her presence delivered to the audience roles from Anderson?s music teacher to Eleanor Roosevelt.

Mark Lang also kept us engaged with his colourfully accented roles, his most endearing as Marion?s suitor, Orpheus ?king? Fisher.

However it is the portrayal of Anderson herself, played with a haunting stillness and contained passion by Alicia Hall that impresses. What was even more impressive was the voice; with never having the pleasure to hear Marian Anderson live and in her prime; Ms Hall recreated, if not the true voice, a sense of the spirit of the time and an ageless voice that sounded the beginning of a new area for black people globally. This was most expressed when she left the audience in stunned silence with her rendition of ?A City Called Heaven?. Cliff Terry accompanied Ms Hall and even though he was always visible seemed invisible, a compliment to him as he uplifted the whole production.

Much credit must be given to director Elizabeth Van Dyke for keeping the production simple and clear, using the actors as tools to retell history.

Marian Anderson once said: ? I wasn?t a person, and I?m not of this day, a real great fighter for anything.

There are people who will, if they want something, they fight, fight, fight; they don?t mind ? with their feet and their hands and everything ? and those people are very, very necessary, but there are some who hope that if they?re doing something worthwhile, that it will speak for them.?

On Wednesday night this production of ?Things Of The Heart?, spoke to us.

Some people fight with the fist and the sword others with the explosiveness of an Aria.