Paradise Blue

B

Things look very promising upon arrival at the Linney Theatre at Signature Center for the final installment of Dominique Morisseau’s (Skeleton Crew, Pipeline) Detroit trilogy. The walls of the theater are covered with vintage posters for jazz concerts. The set by Neil Patel (An Ordinary Muslim; Time and the Conways) evokes the look of a seedy bar in the Black Bottom area of that city in 1949. At one end we see an upstairs rental room perfect in period detail down to the mauve chenille bedspread. Two huge electric PARADISE signs overhang the set, each facing half the audience seated on opposite sides of the stage. A lively burst of jazz plays as the lights dim. We meet each of the colorful characters: Blue (J. Alphonse Nicholson), the bar’s owner and trumpet player; Pumpkin (Kristolyn Lloyd; Dear Evan Hansen, Invisible Thread), Blue’s lover, cook and cleaning woman, who likes to memorize poems; Corn (Keith Randall Smith; The Piano Lesson, Jitney), pianist, widower and longtime friend of Blue’s; P-Sam (Francois Battiste; Prelude to a Kiss, Head of Passes), a young drummer down on his luck; and Silver (Simone Missick), a sultry black widow who rents the upstairs room. Blue’s bar is at the heart of a thriving area of black-owned businesses, threatened by a new mayor who wants to eliminate “blight.” Each of the characters has personal reasons for wanting the bar either to remain open or to close. The characters, mostly richly drawn, would feel right at home in an August Wilson play except for Silver, who seems to have wandered in from a noir film. Skillful director Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Jitney, The Piano Lesson) is in his comfort zone. The period costumes by Clint Ramos (Night Is a Room, Appropriate) are wonderful. Because the production has so much going for it, I am sorry to report that the play does not fully live up to its promise. The plot is not as coherent as it should be. The character of Blue is so relentlessly unsympathetic and devoid of charm that it is hard to care about his fate; I am curious whether another actor could have fared better with the role. Nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing the other first-rate actors making the most of juicy roles. Ms. Lloyd and Mr. Smith are especially fine. It’s not up there with Morisseau’s  Skeleton Crew, but it is still worth seeing. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including intermission.

Jitney

A

Although written first, Jitney is the last of the ten plays in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle to reach Broadway. This superb production at Manhattan Theatre Club was worth the wait. The focus of the play is the office of a gypsy cab service in a primarily black Pittsburgh neighborhood. We meet the owner Becker (the indispensable John Douglas Thompson), a man widely respected by the community; four of his drivers — Fielding , an alcoholic with a surprising past (longtime Wilson veteran Anthony Chisholm); Youngblood (Andre Holland from the film Moonlight), the Vietnam vet trying to make a better life for his girlfriend Rena (Carra Patterson) and their young son; the soft-spoken, aloof Doub (Keith Randolph Smith), emotionally crippled by what he saw in the Korean War; and gossipy troublemaker Turnbo (the pitch-perfect Michael Potts) — and a couple of regular visitors — Shealy (Harvy Blanks), a flamboyant numbers bookie, and Philmore (Ray Anthony Thomas), a frequent customer. Finally, there is Booster (Brandon J. Dirden), Becker’s son, just released from prison after 20 years. The reunion scene between father and son that ends the first act is both riveting and lacerating. The conversations and conflicts among the other characters often pack a punch while often simultaneously delivering a chuckle. Ensemble acting doesn’t get much better than this. The richly detailed set by David Gallo incorporates glimpses of the neighborhood. Toni-Leslie James’s costumes are perfection. The bluesy music by Bill Sims Jr. enhances the action. Director Ruben Santiago-Hudson (The Piano Lesson) once again demonstrates his aptitude for Wilson’s work. The play is weakened a bit by its pat ending, but not enough to erase its many strengths. My one quibble is that I thought that Dirden (The Piano Lesson), although a fine actor, was miscast; he bears no physical resemblance to Thomspon and looks too sleek and confident for a man just out of prison. Nevertheless, this is a powerful revival of a play well worth seeing. Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes including intermission.

Seating advice: Since the floor of the stage has been raised at least a foot, i do not recommend seats in the first few rows.

Skeleton Crew ***

Dominique Morisseau has, on a smaller scale, done for Detroit what August Wilson did for Pittsburgh — chronicled the lives of some of its African-American residents over the decades. The final play in her Detroit trilogy, now at Atlantic Stage 2, is a workplace drama set in the break room of a failing auto parts plant in 2008 just as the Great Recession hits. An opening radio bulletin raises the question of how the city has fared in the 40 years since the bloody riots of 1968. We meet three workers — the crusty lesbian Faye (Lynda Gravatt), the union rep who is approaching the 30-year mark at work; Dez (Jason Dirden), a hotheaded young man with authority issues who is putting in as much overtime as possible to be able to leave and start his own garage; Shanita (Nikiya Mathis), a very pregnant second-generation worker who takes pride in her work. Their foreman Reggie (Wendell B. Franklin) got his job with Faye’s help and rose through the ranks to low-level management. Faye is secretly facing serious difficulties, some of her own making. Dez has a crush on Shakita, who has troubling dreams. We learn that Reggie’s late mother was the love of Faye’s life. Reggie is torn by divided loyalties. Management has cut back relentlessly. Supplies are disappearing in night-time thefts. The threat of closure hangs over everyone. The situations are involving and the dialogue is lively. Morisseau’s characters, brought to life by a superb cast, are easy to care about. At its best moments, it recalls August Wilson’s work. The play is greatly assisted by a first-rate production directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Michael Carnahan’s set creates a believable factory break room down to the smallest detail. Paul Tazewell’s costumes are excellent — Faye’s sequined Obama jacket speaks volumes. Rui Rita’s lighting design sets the right mood. The sound design by Robert Kaplowitz is supplemented by original songs by Jimmy “J.Keys” Keys. The breaks between scenes are marked by dance sequences choreographed and performed by Adesola Osakalumi that capture the repetitive, robotic nature of the work. Some of these interludes are punctuated by uncredited projections of the factory floor, the final one showing robots at work. I hope a brave producer mounts Morisseau’s complete trilogy soon. Running time: one hour 50 minutes including intermission.

The Happiest Song Plays Last *

The final play in Quiara Alegria Hudes's Elliot Trilogy is now in previews at Second Stage Theatre. Since I mostly enjoyed their production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning second installment, Water by the Spoonful, a little over a year ago, I was looking forward to the third play. I am sorry to report that the final play is a big step backwards from its predecessor. It is an unfocused melange of plot lines that are long on talk and short on cohesion -- community activism, after effects of the Iraq War, the important role of music in Puerto Rican culture, docudrama moviemaking, the events of Tahrir Square, the middle-aged desire to procreate, emergency room failings, and on and on. The focus is once more on Elliot (Armando Riesco again) and Yaz (Lauren Velez), Puerto Rican-American cousins from North Philadelphia. Elliot, a former Marine who served in Iraq is in Jordan making a film about the war. The film's female lead is Shar (Annapurna Sriram), an attractive actress with some Iranian and Egyptian blood. Their driver is Ali (Dariush Kashani), a refugee from Iraq trying to survive in Jordan. Back in Philly, Yaz has abandoned life in an upscale highrise for a house in the hood, where she cooks for and looks after her needy neighbors, especially Lefty (Anthony Chisholm), a homeless man. One of her neighbors is Agustin (Tony Plana) an alcoholic musician 20 years her senior who would like to have a baby with her. The action, such as it is, jumps back and forth among these characters with little effect. A polemic outburst in the second act seems to come out of nowhere. Allegedly, much of the material is autobiographical. Unfortunately it has not been shaped into a unified whole. A three-piece band provides welcome musical interludes that briefly stop the endless talk. Michael Carnahan's massive wooden slat set suggests Puerto Rico rather than either Philadelphia or Jordan. The usually fine Ruben Santiago-Hudson does not show a sure directorial hand. Fans of the television show "Ugly Betty" will at least enjoy the opportunity to see Plana and Velez together again. Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes including intermission.

How I Learned What I Learned ***

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
Signature Theatre is presenting the New York premiere of this one-man show, written and first performed by August Wilson in 2003 in Seattle. Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who has a sterling record interpreting Wilson's work, portrays him in this set of reminiscences about being a young black man in Pittsburgh in the 1960's. The pieces range from comedic to contemplative. Some are poetic, others are angry. Santiago-Hudson, a charismatic performer, gives them their due. Set designer David Gallo projects the name of each sketch typed on a backdrop of hundreds of sheets of paper hanging from wires. The rough wood platform with rusty stairs on which the performance takes place rests on a layer of urban detritus. Costanza Romero did the costumes. Wilson expert Todd Kreidler's direction is fluid and assured. The format runs the risk of monotony and the vitality of the sketches does take a dip midway, but then it returns to its initial high level of interest. All in all, it makes for a short but worthwhile experience. Sadly, there were very, very few blacks in the audience. Running time: one hour, 20 minutes; no intermission.

The Piano Lesson *****

(Please click on the title to see the complete review.)
This lively revival of August Wilson's play about a black family in Pittsburgh in 1936 is one of the highlights of the season. This Signature Theatre production, ably directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, features an ensemble cast that is close to perfection. Roslyn Ruff's stern Berniece is a worthy opponent for Brandon J. Dirden's feisty Boy Willie, as the two siblings fight over the piano on which their grandfather had carved the family history. James A. Williams (Doaker), Jason Dirden (Lymon), Chuck Cooper (Wining Boy) and Eric Lenox Abrams (Avery) bring their distinctive characters vividly to life. Alexis Holt (Maretha) and Mandi Masden (Grace) are fine in smaller roles. Michael Carnahan's set is superb, as are Karen Perry's costumes and Rui Rita's lighting. I was surprised how much humor there is and how central a role music plays. From an a capella work song to boogie woogie to blues, the music is beautifully performed and seamlessly integrated into the action. The pace is leisurely, but gratifyingly so. All in all, a rare treat. Running time: 2 hours, 55 minutes including intermission.