Freeman

Freeman is a play that was made for televison back in 1977. It tells the story of Freeman, a very spirited young black man who lives in an industrial town in Michigan with his parents and fiancee, Osa Lee. Freeman works in an auto plant in a minor office job but is constantly looking to better himself in society. He runs for city councilman in his district and loses. We constantly see him as an angry man who criticizes the "Man" and his family at the same time. Dick Anthony Williams is superb as the voracious Freeman. Fans may recognize him from the 1971 heist film, "The Anderson Tapes". Lou Gossett Jr. plays Freeman's best friend, Rex. Rex is a doctor and is constantly trying to help Freeman. Rounding out the cast is Chip Fields as Freeman's unfortunate wife, Osa Lee, legendary seventies character actor Richard Ward (the raspy voiced Doc Johnson in "Across 110th Street") as the father and Pauline Meyers as the mom. This is a very serious and moving play dealing with relationships between parents, best friend, and wife. It exemplifies the harsh life of the urban black male of the seventies during a time when many "blaxploitation" films showed a rather overblown picture. Saw this play on WNYE Ch. 25, a NYC public tv station.