“Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy and his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered who he was talking about.”

Opening to the “I’ve Been to The Mountaintop” sermon by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Katori Hall’s deceptively simple play “The Mountaintop” imagines who he was talking about.

"The Mountaintop" first opened in London's West End in 2009, receiving the prestigious Olivier Best New Play Award. It is now receiving a spectacular mounting by Invictus Theatre Company under the watchful direction of Aaron Reese Boseman.

The premise is simple, In Memphis to support the striking sanitation workers, Martin Luther King Jr. (Mikhá el Amin) has returned to his room at the Lorraine Motel after delivering his “I’ve Been to The Mountaintop” speech. He has sent Ralph Abernathy to the store for Pall Mall cigarettes. While waiting for his cigarettes, he works on a new speech “Why America is Going to Hell”. Frustrated, he places a telephone call to the front desk asking for room service to bring him a cup of coffee. When Camae (Ny’ ajai Ellison) knocks on the door with coffee, cigarettes, whiskey, body and personality, the play kicks into its next gear. At this time in the civil rights struggle, King was known for his womanizing, the FBI had him under surveillance, and he was fatigued and full of self-doubt. Is it possible Camae was sent to entrap King?

If only it were that simple.

The chemistry between King and Camae is palpable, thanks to Hall's clever writing and Boseman's pas de deux directing technique.

Amin was born to play the role of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Not only is there a slight resemblance to King, he also speaks and delivers words evoking how the real-life King spoke. It is obvious Amin studied King to wonderful results. Amin is too fine an actor to resort to mimicry. There are times we see a near-broken man, so haunted by death threats that every peal of thunder outside the motel causes a panic attack. We see a vanity in King that seems honest.  Amin’s depiction of King is strongest when he expresses his fears, anxieties, and desires. One of Amin’s most powerful scenes as King features him on a telephone call. It's heart wrenching to watch him plead and rationalize. It’s a garden of Gethsemane moment. To say anymore would spoil the beauty.

Ellison is spot on casting for the role of Camae. When she says “Preacher Kang” she tells us a world of what we need to know about Camae. Ellison’s Camae is eloquent but mouthy, sensitive yet crude, blatantly sexual yet resistive to King's urgings, skeptical about nonviolence and instead sympathetic to the Black Power ideology of Malcolm X. Ellison’s Camae is every bit a match for Amin’s King. She provides a comedic foil to Amin’s serious King. During the night, they challenge each other, They talk about the future; they talk about the past; they talk about politics, and she is just too many wonderful things. Ellison’s most impactful acting comes at a serious moment involving Camae's background story. Her story is powerful and one that will linger in the memory.

Scenic Designer Kevin Rolfs has created an accurate recreation of room 306 of the Lorraine Motel down to the original 1960’s color scheme. Liz Cooper’s Lighting Design worked well with Warren Levon’s thunder and ambient rain sounds that runs throughout the production. Thunder and lightning serve as punctuation for important lines of dialog.

The projection and special effects designer DJ Douglass is masterful in his execution. Together this design team changes a simple hotel room into something magnificent.

Highly Recommended —The Mountaintop reminds us that even our icons are human. We are all kings and King is all of us. "This baton is no longer the burden my image can bear," he says. "For you are the climbers, the new carriers of the cross. I beg you, implore you, don't give in and toss it off."

Side note:  

This is just another example of the excellence coming from Invictus Theatre Company. They constantly exceed their reach. I have to remind myself this is a storefront theatre.    

Performed at Reginald Vaughn Theatre through March 19th. For tickets and/or more show info, click here.                    

The start of the civil rights movement was not Rosa Parks refusal to leave her seat on a bus. The civil rights movement started when the photo of 14-year-old Emmett Till, laying in his coffin beaten beyond recognition was graphically published on the cover of Jet Magazine for the world to bear witness. He was the victim of a heinous attack by brothers Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam.

“Trial in the Delta” is a reenactment of the trial held at the Tallahatchie County courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi on September 23, 1955. This reenactment took 2 hours thanks to the laborious job of paring down 5 days of actual court transcripts into a cohesive 2-hour production. The adaptation by G. Riley Mills and Willie Round was sharp and concise making the arguments of both sides extremely clear.

It had to be difficult directing a production where everyone knows the outcome and keep it fresh and new, yet this is exactly what the directing team of Dana N. Anderson and Anthony Moseley accomplished. They made the audience spectators to this miscarriage of justice. They never took the easy road of playing on emotions. They went for words that were spoken they went for intent. They were aided by a spectacular cast.

Although their backs were to the audience most of the time, the body language of JW Milam (Matt Miles) and Roy Bryant (Tyler Burke) spoke volumes. There were times I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Prosecutor Gerald Chatham (Andy Luther) pushed and pleaded knowing it was all in vain while Defense Atty. JJ Breland (Steve Silver) played verbal gymnastics with the witnesses knowing he had the upper hand. All the witnesses that took the stand had different perspectives. I felt the fear of Moses Wright (Darren Jones) as he pointed. Undertaker Chester Miller (Lyle Miller) was dignified as his profession required. The testimony that gripped me was Carolyn Bryant (Maddy Brown).  It was alarming. The work that Carolyn Bryant put into that story and the way Maddie Brown brought that story to life made me pinch myself. I realized this is a tactic that’s been around forever, and it still works. The way Bryant/Brown weaponized her tears broke my heart. It was evident this trial was over, and these men would be free. Mamie Bradley (Kayla Franklin) remained stoic thru all the proceeding even when was her turn to take the stand. Her last speech is powerful.

Looking at the program for this production, I noticed there are major people in the theatre community associated with this production and it shows. DuSable Museum, while not my favorite place to see a play, made this production work. The set is a maple wood courtroom. To the left of the witness box are 12 empty seats. The Jury…..12 White men.  Whenever the jury came or left the courtroom, we see a projection of 12 white men entering of leaving and we hear their footsteps. There are maple bannisters separating the Attorneys from the spectators.

Witnesses are seated throughout the audience and as they are called walk up to the witness stand and are sworn in.

This production is an example of how systemic racism works and as such would not be shown in Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law the Stop-Woke (Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees) Act, which prohibits educational institutions and businesses from teaching students and employees anything that would cause anyone to feel guilt, anguish or any form of psychological distress due to their race, color, sex or national origin. I’m sure this production was not created to cause any undo harm or guilt. This is not only African American history, but also American History.

When: Through February 19th - 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, 740 E. 56th Pl.

Tickets: $30-$55

Info: Collaboraction.org

Decades before the enactment of Title IV, famous for its impact on expanding opportunities for women and girls in sports and well before the inaugural game of the WNBA, an African American women became the first to play for a professional baseball team.

“Toni Stone”, written by award winning playwright Lydia Diamond is receiving a rip-rousing production at the Goodman Theatre. Arguably, this is Lydia Diamond’s finest work, and that is saying a mouthful. She has consistently written engaging, thought-provoking work, adding beauty and depth to the American theatre canon.

We meet Toni Stone as she introduces herself and her teammates in a circus like atmosphere. She narrates the story of her life with The Indianapolis Clowns, a baseball team much like the Harlem Globetrotters. Although they play baseball and are darn good at it, their main job is to entertain. This was before African Americans were allowed to play in the all-white baseball leagues. We meet a cast of characters that are the most interesting characters I’ve seen on stage in a very long time.

Diamond wrote Stone as a beautifully complex, conflicted character. I don’t believe Toni Stone ever saw herself as sexual. She knew she wasn’t a man, but she also knew she was so much more than what was expected of a woman. She saw herself simply as a baseball player. She expected everyone to see her as a baseball player. When she meets Alberga, a male suitor that falls in love with her, she is thrown a curveball. Along with her only woman friend Millie, she navigates life as a baseball player and wife. Baseball came easy, being a wife was a bit more challenging.

This is Toni’s story, but it couldn’t be told without the assistance of a team of rambunctious, opinionated, athletic men. Under award-winning director Ron OJ Parsons’ assured and exuberant direction we are transported back to the late 1940’s.

With the help of movement director, Cristin Carole, Parson’s has his cast dancing, singing, juggling and doing acrobatics as if by second nature. This is a fun show to watch. The Actors morph into a variety of characters with striking ease.

It would be unfair not to mention some of the uniformly excellent the cast by name. Tracey Bonner is a joy as Toni Stone. Her warmth and enthusiasm are evident in this role. It’s hard to think of another actress embodying this character. The outrageously talented Edgar Miguel Sanchez plays a bookish Spec with steely resolve. Kai A. Ealy fresh off the Court stage in “The Island” gives us an energetic King Tut. Travis A. Knight goes from team bus driver Stretch to team owner Syd Pollock effortlessly. Chike Johnson brings a tender effect to Alberga, Toni’s admirer/husband. It was good seeing Chike on stage in Chicago again. Jon Hudson Odom plays a drunk ballplayer and Millie, Toni’s friend and confidant. The character of Millie could have gone too many ways of wrong, but for the writing of Diamond, the direction of Parsons and the acting expertise of Odom. Odom played Millie so understated that it was sublime and never caricature.

Todd Rosenthal’s set of a dugout with bleachers is masterful. This set has lots of surprises, with projections by Mike Tutaj it becomes the team bus, a boardroom, a bar but mostly a baseball playing field. Keith Parham’s lighting design was as high energy as the set, blinding white lights reminiscent of a summer day in the ballpark, quiet country roads at midnight.

Toni Stone was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and was inducted into the Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Although we have made inroads in sports, to date there are no women playing professional major league baseball.

Not only is this an entertaining piece of theatre, it’s also an important piece of theatre. How often does that happen?

When: Through Feb. 26

Where: Goodman Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Tickets: $25 - $45

Info: goodmantheatre.org

Like Christina Anderson, the Tony award nominated playwright of “the ripple, the wave that carried me home” I too was naively unaware of the history of segregation of public pools.

Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, at the same time as the play’s timeline, public pools were more likely segregated by class than by race. Besides, beaches were the preferred pastime on a hot summer day in NYC. The play gave me a new perspective and made me think outside my sheltered world. It is highly recommended.

As water fills the space it finds itself in, this play has many themes and ideas filling the hour and forty-five-minute running time. Themes of patriarchy, access, racial justice, family dynamics, legacy and forgiveness are all marinating together. If it doesn’t come out in the wash, it will come out in the rinse.

The play opens in 1991 with unanswered phone calls to Janice, (Christiana Clark) a recruitment officer at an Ohio University. The calls are from a Young Chipper Ambitious Black Woman (Brianna Buckley) who is representing an African American Recognition Committee in Beacon, Kansas, her hometown. They are renaming a pool in honor of her father, who was instrumental in desegregating the public pools in Beacon. They would like her to attend and participate. She takes issue, her mother was just as involved in this fight as her father. Why is she not honored?

“ripple..” is a memory play and according to Janice, some of those memories are best left at the bottom of a deep pool. Janice narrates her time growing up starting in the early 60’s as the daughter of Edwin (Ronald Connor) and Helen (Aneisa Hicks). We learn Janice’s father is from the necessity class and her mother, the thinking class. These distinctions meant very little to the white majority, but these distinctions helped the audience understand how her parents approached life.

Between scenes of narration, we see this family in action. We see a teenage Edwin demonstrate how he covertly integrated a public pool and the resulting fallout. We see the sacrifices made by Helen, so her daughter and other children can learn the mechanics of swimming.

Todd Rosenthal’s set consist of the inside of a public pool building complete pool and trophy case. To change scenes the trophy case slides out and a household scene slides in. It is a nice and clean set change. While Janice doesn’t change costumes in the 30 years of the play, the other characters change from late 50’s to the 90’s. Montana Levi Blanco caught the essence of the time period with his costume choices. Cookie Jordan did an excellent job in hair and wig design. Until I read the program, I didn’t know Aunt Gayle and Young Ambitious Black Woman were played by the same actress (Brianna Buckley). It was clearly a testament to costume, hair, wig and performance.

Jackson Gay captured the feel and energy of family life in the 60’s and 70’s. The play moved smoothly from narration to action, from joy to tears and back again.

It is interesting Anderson chose to place her play in 1991 and work backwards. 1991 was the year of the “Rodney King Riots” when the officers that beat King within an inch of his life were acquitted. King survived the beating only to die in 2012 of …. you guessed it, drowning.

When: Through February 12th

Where: Goodman Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn

Tickets: $15-$45

Info: www.goodmantheatre.org 

“There’ll come a time when they will stop laughing, and that will be the time when our Antigone hits them with her words”

John- The Island

Two Black men, bound together with shackles on their feet and hands, are brought to a beach on Robben Island. The same Robben Island that housed Nelson Mandela for 26 years. For the next 15 minutes, the men are engaged in a wordless, strenuous mime of Sisyphean labor. Sisyphus was the King of Corinth. He was imprisoned for his craftiness in cheating death. His punishment, being forced to roll an enormous boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when they near the top, repeating this action for eternity. The crimes committed by our two Black men are never truly explored, but this being South Africa, under the apartheid regime of 1973, we can be sure it is something as simple as living while Black. The key word being simple. The apartheid regime was violent, and this punishment is an extension of that violence.

''The Island,'' the extraordinary protest drama created by White dissident playwright and director Athol Fugard and two Black actors, John Kani and Winston Ntshona is receiving a sharp and impressive reimaging at Court Theatre under the excellent direction of Associate Artistic Director Gabrielle Randle-Bent.

The story is built around the relationship of our two men, John, played by the talented Kai A. Ealy, and Winston, played by the equally talented Ronald L. Connor. There is a sincerity in both these men faces aiding in the interpretation of their characters. John, the more aggressive and active of the two is a relative newcomer to Robben Island, whereas Winston has been incarcerated for quite some time.  They are much more than cellmates or brothers in arms. They are each other’s lifeline. They remind each other of lost humanity in an inhumane environment. While they are physically imprisoned, their imaginations cannot be restrained. They use their imagination to remain sharp and connected to the world and life they once knew. It is in their imagination these men live their fullest lives. With the opportunity to perform for the prison guards and other inmates, John chooses to do a stripped-down version of Antigone.  Winston is uncomfortable playing the female Antigone.                    

When John’s sentence is commuted, shortening his time to three months, Winston frets about becoming a stone shell of himself.  A stone, not unlike the stones he is made to cut. Realizing why he is in this predicament and knowing he will spend the rest of his life in prison because of his stance, Winston is finally motivated to play Antigone. This play is an act of defiance against the South Africa government both literally and figuratively.

Director Randle-Bent, being true to the original intent of the writers, draws the audience into the drama, having John as Creon ask direct questions to audience members. Winston as Antigone pleads her case, not so much to Creon, but to the us, the state. It has a powerful effect on the audience.

I remember the scenic designer Yeaji Kims through her work at American Blues’ production of “Fences” as well as her work with Griffin Theatre. She once again shows her unbelievable imagination. Her set, a sunbaked stone wall with an opening for the guards to look through in the background, in the center of the stage is a slab of stone teetering on a stone mound surrounded by red sand. The slab moves like a teeter-totter, serving the action of the players at their will. This set combined with the soundscape of waves crashing against stone and other island sounds by Andre Pluess and Daniel Etti-Williams give the impression of isolation on foreign shores. The movement of the sun, the unforgiving sun, was perfected by lighting designer Jason Lynch. Michael Keith Morgan is a genius. Kai and Ronald’s South African accents were EXCELLENT!

That’s all we want them to do…listen in the end.

-John

While we laugh at these characters foibles, it is important to remember these events are reality based.

It is impossible to get an accurate number of the people that suffered and died under apartheid.

Not only must we listen, but we must also remember and never forget.

Please see “The Island” at Court Theatre, it’s as important now as it was 50 years ago.

When:    Thru December 4

Where:   Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue

Tickets:   $40.50 - $82.00

Info:        Courttheatre.org.

My favorite writer of all time is Tennessee Williams. He was born into a dysfunctional family in Mississippi 1911. Most of his plays revolve around family dynamics.  My favorite play of his, and of all time is “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”. It is an exploration of life, of death, of unrequited love and sexuality, but most of all, it’s about mendacity. The whole play is centered on various family members lying to each other, and in the case of one character, to himself.

“Cat” was written, and it takes place in the present, which would be 1955. A lackluster screen adaptation starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman was done in 1958. While beautiful to view , the movie sanitized the script, taking out the scandalous details, leaving an easily digestible movie for 1958 audience. It has none of the heart or the scandal of the play and Mr. Williams hated it.

I had mixed emotions with MadKap’s production at Skokie Theater. I loved the sound effects and felt they were well-designed. The set was a different story. I liked the hanging moss indicating a southern locale. I would have liked to see more order in the netting surrounding the set. It was extremely thick in certain places and seemed to be thrown onto the backdrop. I understand what the designer was going for. With a little help from the lighting designer this could have been an impressive set, as it is now, it is just functional. The furniture in the bedroom did not suggest a wealthy southern family of means. The vanity was a table with a tablecloth thrown over it, the chaise lounge was a pale gray color, the liquor cabinet was a 1980’s stereo system without the stereo. All these items should assist in telling the audience who these people are.  Set design for this show doesn’t begin and end with a brass bed.

The characters in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” are complicated. They have big personalities and even bigger emotions, but so much more than that, they are real people. They shouldn’t be reduced to goofy accents and characterizations.  Reid Harrisson O’Connell plays older brother Gooper and Emilie Yount plays perpetually pregnant sister-in-law Mae. O’Connell wore an oversized suit, a rare miss in an otherwise excellent costume design by Beth Laske Miller. I never got the impression Gooper was a successful lawyer. O’Connor played at the character. His body language gave H.S. student trying to play older. His big scene in the third act came off as comical. Yount as Mae fared slightly better. I wanted to see more variety in her characterization….more cat, less bitch.

I love what Kent Joseph did with Big Daddy Pollitt. He showed us all sides of this cancerous and cankerous plantation owner. In him we see parallels between himself and Brick.  Like Brick, he believes himself to be surrounded by dishonesty. Also, like Brick, he views his marriage as a sham, and feels nothing but disgust for the woman whom he married. The difference between he and Brick is Big Daddy is being lied to, while Brick is lying to himself.  Joseph gave us an honest portrayal of Big Daddy and he was equally yoked with Ann James’ Big Mama. Hers was a loud, tender, and touching performance.  A joy to watch.

I wish Caleb Gibson matched the energy of Kent Joseph. I couldn’t get past a weird accent he used. It was a cross between Jim Nabors’ Gomer Pyle (who, incidentally, was gay) and Foghorn Leghorn. A dialect coach would have served this production greatly. Act two of the play is the heart of the drama. We learn the problem with Brick, and Big Daddy learns of his problem. The language is very important. It is not the time to break down sobbing. Gibson, while trying to convince his father he is not “a sissy”, is incoherent because of his crying. We miss a lot of information. It was an issue of over-acting in some places while underacting in others.

Sarah Sapperstein did an amazing job as Maggie the cat. She is strong yet vulnerable. She gives as well as she takes. She is determined yet utterly feminine. We could have asked for more onstage chemistry between Gibson and Sapperstein but her Maggie was one point nonetheless.

I recommend everyone see “Cat on A Hot Tin Roof”, after all, this is Tennessee Williams. The world has changed so much since the 50’s. Writers such as Donja Love, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Jonathan Larson, Tony Kushner as well as others, owe so much to Williams. I owe so much to him; he kept me reading and learning.

“You two had something that had to be kept on ice, yes, incorruptible, yes!--and death was the only icebox where you could keep it....”
― Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Through 11/20: Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sun 2 PM; also Wed 11/16 1:30 PM, Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln, Skokie, 847-677-7761, skokietheatre.org, $38 ($34 students/seniors)

Invictus Theatre Company is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues in Chicago. They consistently produce excellent theatre without pretension or fanfare. For a small storefront theatre, they more than hold their own against larger, better financed houses. They are always punching above their weight class and winning.

I had seen so much theatre invoking the character, presidency, and utter foolishness of Donald Trump, it started to bore me.  When I realized Invictus was approaching this “Caesar” from a different angle, it piqued my interest. I clearly saw the parallels, not to Donald Trump and his presidency, but to one date in particular, January 6th, now known as “Insurrection Day”. In “Julius Caesar” events are put into action thru manipulation and persuasion, whether it is to one person or a group of people. “Julius Caesar” is the perfect play for an examination of the effect of rhetoric on groups.

The play begins with a triumphant Caesar returning home to Rome after successfully defeating his rivals. While the Roman people welcome him, Caesar’s newfound popularity makes nobleman Cassius quite uncomfortable. He convinces Brutus, a friend of Caesar’s, that Caesar is dangerously ambitious and should be assassinated to preserve Rome as a republic. The two, along with some others organize and execute the assassination. The play then recounts the consequences of this betrayal, focusing on Caesar’s right-hand man, Mark Antony. He along with Octavius, Caesar’s nephew, fight to revenge the murder of his friend.

Charles Askenaizer deftly plays Brutus as a reasonable, thoughtful man, a principled, moral man. A man whose loyalty lies not so much with Caesar but with the future of Rome. He easily evokes the audience’s sympathy. When he says to Cassius “I had rather be a dog and bay the moon” in response to dishonorable acts, we believe and feel for him. It is unfortunate the very qualities making him an honorable man, are the qualities used to bring him down. This is the tragedy of Brutus.

Daniel Houle plays Cassius as the ultimate villain he is. His jealousy is pronounced, he effectively uses the people around him for his own devious purposes.  He’s entirely self-serving. Instead of taking no for an answer, he reframes his talking points. As audience members, Houle has us questioning anything that comes out of his mouth. In the second act he proves what we felt all along. Powerful interpretation.

We are disarmed by the deceptively smooth and peaceful nature of Mikha’el Amin’s Mark Antony. He underplays the role to brilliant results. When he realizes Caesar has been murdered and he’s now in the room with the murderers, his eyes tell all that his mouth is formulating. As many times as I’ve seen “Julius Caesar”, Amin gave me something new to consider. The more Antony mentions that Brutus is an “honorable man” the more, ever so sarcastic it sounds. The arc of this portrayal is wonderful to watch especially up close. Amin speaks volumes with his eyes.

In this male dominated world, the marginalized women make a strong impression. Rachel Livingston is full of rage and pride as the headstrong Portia and Maria Clara Ospina switches full tilt from a subservient Lucius to a prophesying Calpurnia, splendid performances by both women.

Huy Nguyen as Artemidorus, Colin Jones as Soothsayer and Joseph Beal as Casca were standouts in a uniformly outstanding cast.

The conspirators entering Brutus’s home in black rain slickers, faces hidden under dark of night, each make a distinct impression. Rick Yaconis (Metellus Cimber), Brandon Boler (Cinna), Joe Feliciano (Trebonius), and Chuck Diaz (Decius Brutus) are a formidable group thanks to the awesome modern dress costume design of Emily Bloomer.

Petter Wahlback’s sound effects and Joe Larkin’s lighting design added to the dramatic tension, particularly during the storm and the battle scenes. Speaking about battle scenes, special notice must go to Jay Donley for his Fight/Intimacy Design. In a space as tight as The Reginald Vaughn Theater, nothing is missed. I feared someone would get hurt with the realistic daggers being used. Kevin Rolfs set supported the action on stage without getting in the way of the story, the props were next level thou! The blood, the blood! Big ups to wardrobe supervisor Beau Peterson-Quinn, I’m not sure how you keep those costumes clean, but you deserve applause. Thank you, Sarafina Vecchio, your reputation precedes you. You’ve made the text accessible for everyone to enjoy

There is so much about this production that I absolutely love, I’m sure I must be missing something….

Oh yes! Hail Chuck Munro!

Julius Caesar is playing at the Reginald Vaughn Theater at 1106 W Thorndale Avenue in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7pm and Sundays at 3pm through November 20, 2022. For tickets and information go to www.invictustheatreco.com.

The term "Red Summer" was coined by civil rights activist and author James Weldon Johnson, who had been employed as a field secretary by the NAACP since 1916.  It is the period from late winter through early autumn of 1919 during which white supremacist terrorism and racial riots took place in more than three dozen cities across the United States. “Red Summer” is also the name of the premiere musical by Governors State University Center for the Performing Arts in collaboration with MPAACT Theatre. It tells the story of the Chicago entry into the red summer uprisings.

We meet the energetic and talented chorus with the opening musical number “Setting the Stage”. The neighborhood comes alive. Two families living on either side of an imaginary dividing line, basically in the same economic position, await the return of loved ones from the war. Hard-working ethnic immigrant Mam Weir and her impulsive son Declan Weir await the return of son and brother, Connor Weir. While across the racial line, equally hard-working Marlene Winters awaits her husband Donald Lee Winters. Marlene has the added burden of losing a child to the 1918 pandemic. Tensions rise with men coming home from the war compete for work in an shrinking economy. Tensions run high with everyone looking for a scapegoat. One hot summer day, Eugene Williams a child, swam into a segregated area of Lake Michigan. He was stoned and drowned. Since the authorities took no action, African Americans took it upon themselves and riots ensued with the ethnic Irish. These riots were documented by The Chicago Defender and the Chicago Tribune.

The writing staff of Shepsu Aakhu,  Andrew White & Shawn Wallace did an excellent job giving voice to the despair, fear and dashed hopes and dreams of its characters. Writing a musical is difficult. Writing a musical where “all’s well doesn’t end well” is almost impossible but they have done it. This was no easy task.

I could write paragraphs about the largest cast ever to grace an MPAACT production, but for the sake of brevity I can only point out a few. Let me say, the entire ensemble was beautiful.  Chloe, Lauren, Katherine, Allison, Autumn, Anthony, Michael, Destin, Dane, Jacque, Danelle, and Marc this show would not have been as successful if it were not for your kinetic stage energy and talent.

Ashlea Woodley as Mam Weir, Alexander Slade as Declan and Ryan Huemmer as Connor.  I loved them individually, together they blew me away. When their voices came together with the song “Eyes Ahead” it was magic. I sat up and took notice.

C.C. Rois also stood out as Marlene Winters. Her singing was ethereal. Her grace and elegance manifested in her songs. I was especially moved by her graveyard scene. Touching and warm.

Nathaniel Andrew who plays Donald Lee Winters, made us root for him. His singing voice pure and honest…who knew.

Melanie Victoria as Ida B Wells captured the audience with her stage presence and gospel-tinged singing.

Bob Sanders as Mayor Bill Thompson was equally as compelling as a counterpoint to Ms. Wells

J. Xavier as army veteran-bartender Dixon is a powerful presence. A robust singing style makes him a standout.

Michaelyn Oby played Eugene Williams sweetly. I’m sure I’ll see more of her on the Chicago stage.

Brian Healy as the Casmero Lazeroni, the fruit peddler was a major joy and standout. His voice was unreal. It was a character I looked forward to. Not to give away anything, but I was hurt.

Jessica Wardell’s tall, skeletal Chicago tenements and storefront along with a fruit peddler with cart, gave the set a sense of 1919 realism. Abboye Lawrence’s media gave us a sense of time and place especially the media for the Chicago Defender and the mayor’s office. Evelyn Danner is to be applauded for brilliant costume design. Terrific Lighting effects by Brandon Wardell.

It is obvious this production grew because of the special gifts of Andrea Dymond.  Her specialty is new works and bringing them to fruition. As I’ve said before, musicals are hard ands sad musicals are harder. Despite the subject matter, Dymond has made a stunning, engaging portrait of a shameful past. 

Shepsu Aakhu you can’t be your own dramaturge!

Red Summer is playing till September 25th.

Friday and Saturday at 730,

Sunday at 2pm.

Tickets start at $30.00 to $57.00. And tickets can be bought online at CenterTickets.net or call 708-235-2222.

Governors State University is located about 45 min from Chicago, at 1 University Pkwy, University Park

Black and Irish Twitter had a field day upon the death of Her Highness Queen Elizabeth II. No tears were shed other than tears of laughter and joy at the demise of a colonizer. Telling Black twitter to be respectful of the death of the woman who inherited the legacy of an empire that contributed to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, or Irish twitter to mourn the woman whose legacy includes Black Sunday is truly an eye rolling, laugh inducting matter…sorry Chris. It is ironic “The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington”, lambasting the “Mother of Our Country”, opened the same weekend as the death of the Queen of the Commonwealth.

I learned so much from seeing this play. Much of James Ijames play is based on historical fact. Martha Dandridge Custis was a widow with two children and enslaved people when she married George Washington. She had an illegitimate half-sister, Ann, born into slavery, thanks to her father. Ann had a son named William. William is both nephew and grandson to Martha since it is believed Martha’s son, John Custis is Williams’s father. George Washington did instruct his wife to release his enslaved people upon his death.  Martha feared her life was in jeopardy and expressed it to Abigail Adams. James Ijames did his research writing this exceptional play. The writing is relevant, thought-provoking, and extremely entertaining.

The play opens Christmas eve night. An enslaved woman, Ann Dandridge is attending to a dying Martha Washington. Just outside and within ear shot are Miz Washington’s enslaved chattel waiting for the glorious moment of her death. They are aware of the clause in her late husbands will freeing them of servitude upon her death, and they can hardly contain themselves.  Miz Washington falls into a deep sleep and finds herself in a fever dream where she will have to account for the people she has enslaved.

Then the fun begins……

Not every director or actor could have pulled off this spectacle. And believe me, it was a spectacle. There was nothing small or tentative about this production. It was big, it was bold, it was Black and Beautiful. Director Whitney White used every fiber of all her talented actors to wonderful results. The ensemble consists of Sydney Charles as Priscilla, Celeste M. Cooper as Doll, Donovan Session as Sucky-Boy, Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Davy, Victor Musoni as William, Nikki Crawford as Ann Dandridge, and Cindy Gold as Martha Washington. All the ensemble members, except Cindy Gold, play a host of other characters.

Clint Ramos’ set design is interesting, dark, and foreboding at times, at other times a circus

Izumi Inaba’s costumes showed a vivid imagination, among the best I’ve seen. There are several scene and costume changes and for the life of me, I’m not sure how they were done so quick and effortlessly.

Ijames doesn’t romanticize slavery as I’ve seen in other plays. There is nothing nice about slavery. Ijames has made his enslaved people the antagonist to an American way of life, putting them at odds with those who romanticize this country.

I got into a row with someone on twitter about my indifference to the Queen’s death. He reminded me the British Empire abolished slavery decades before the United States. I reminded him the British Empire used slave labor to harvest sugarcane, they realized enslaved people with machetes aren’t good for business.

This production is highly recommended.

THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON runs through October 9, 2022 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 North Halsted. Tickets are $20-$96.

I’ve often said despite the larger houses producing August Wilson plays, they tend to work better in intimate spaces. After all, Mr. Wilsons’ inspiration came from intimate settings. He would write in bars, cafes, restaurants, and other places where his characters would be right in his face. He would often write long hand and sometimes on napkins to make himself invisible as a writer. It was important for him to catch the dialect, the accents, and the energy of his characters. Mr. Wilson began his career writing for small theaters, schools, and community centers where space was at a premium.

American Blues minimalist production of “Fences” under the direction of Monty Cole is powerful, bold, and beautiful. I love when theaters take chances. No guts, no glory….and there is plenty of glory here.

To contain the largest of emotions within boundaries, Scenic designer Yeaji Kim has created a huge, whitewashed fence reaching the heavens on both ends of the playing area. On the north end it appears to still be under construction. On the south end there is a door leading into the house while when closed is unnoticed. There are 5 cushions for players to be seated when they are not on stage. There are 60 chairs in total on either side of the playing area. It’s akin to a baseball field. The characters are so close you can count the beads of sweat on their brow, their emotions so big, no regular sized fence was going to hold them in.

We get up close and personal with Troy Maxson. Kamal Angelo Bolden’s Troy was not encumbered by anyone who previously played this role. This Troy was much more complicated than I’ve ever seen, FULL STOP. At varying times, this Troy showed love, he showed anger, he showed fear, he was a child, he was a monster, but most of all he showed a vulnerable side. It’s the vulnerability the audience connected with. Despite his ugliness, his meanness, and boorish ways if we look deep into his eyes, we see a man hurt. We see a man who values work more than education. In those rare moments of silence, we see what could have been, and our hearts ache for him.

Playing opposite Troy is the hard-working Rose, his wife of 18 years. She knows this man; she has built her life around him. She soothes over his relationships with his sons.  She is the heart and soul of this family. She cooks, she cleans, she loves. She is saint like in her patience with Troy until she isn’t. We see mini eruptions until it grows too much to control until she loses herself or does she find herself.  Shanesia Davis’ beautifully understates Rose until she can’t anymore. It is some beautiful theatre having a front seat to her emotional build.

A man like Troy Maxson needs all the support he can muster, and no one does it better than his friend and confidant, Bono, engagingly played by Martel Manning. No one could question Troy about his dalliance except Bono. Manning brilliantly steps into the lion’s den and raises the issue. I loved the way his mannerisms changed when talking to Troy about “that gal”.

Troy’s two sons born a decade apart, to two different women are Cory, energetically played by Ajax Dontavius and Lyons, the charismatic William Anthony Sebastian Rose II. Troy treats both men the same the only difference is Cory lives in his home, so he has more control over him.  He verbally abuses Lyons. Special shout-out to Charlie Baker, the Fight & Intimacy Director. Unbelievable stagecraft. The fights and intimacy looked awful real. I almost ducked when Cory was swinging the bat.

Rounding out this family is Gabriel, Troy’s brain damaged brother, played with wonderful control by Manny Buckley. I loved how tight and controlled Buckley played Gabriel. He played the character with great respect for brain damaged people without forfeiting characterization. Gabriel sees what we can’t see. He feels what we can’t feel. Buckley expressed this perfectly.

Stephanie Cluggish’s costumes suggested the times. I especially like what she did with Rose’s funeral outfit. Very inventive.

This production had an air of spirituality, of otherworldliness, I’ve never seen before. This was largely the result of Jared Gooding’s lighting design.  It worked beautifully

In Wilson’s N.Y. Times obituary, he is quoted as telling the Paris Review: “I think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans. For instance, in ‘Fences’ they see a garbageman, a person they don’t really look at, although they see a garbageman every day. By looking at Troy’s life, white people find out that the content of this black garbageman’s life is affected by the same things – love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty. Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect how they think about and deal with black people in their lives.”

Yeah right, let’s hope this is true. In any case, American Blues Theater and Monty Cole has put these characters on full display with all the fury and might deserving of them and a weary America thanks you.

“Fences” runs through Aug. 6 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. For tickets visit americanbluestheater.com or phone (773) 975-8150.