At American Stage: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

January 28th, O&Aers attended a performance of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at American Stage, and to a one, we were all stunned at this powerful play and wonderful production. O&A is offering tickets for a second night of this production, so if you missed the first chance, I urge you to go.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the first in a ten cycle series of plays by August Wilson, one that conveys the Black experience in America, decade by decade. The great news is that American Stage has committed itself to presenting the entire cycle over the next several years – something almost of unheard of by a theatre company of this size.

Although four of the plays in the cycle have already been performed in past seasons, Ma Rainey is definitely the “mama” of them all – not only setting the stage for the rest to come, but introducing us to August Wilson’s extraordinary ability to bring a slice of life to the stage in such a meaningful way, so that when the lights go down on the final scene, we are touched in a way we didn’t anticipate.

American Stage has cast this play with actors from across the country, many of them already having performed in Wilson’s plays. This is truly an ensemble cast, and each character is so well defined, that we feel we know them. There are stand outs, namely Ben Cain who play the role of Levee, a trumpeter who senses the future of black music, and tries with all of his energy and might to get the others in the band to understand. He is also the only one who dares to challenge Ma Rainy – herself a mighty force to contend with. The characterization is right on-perfect. It is his play, as he is the one whom we feel for the most. When the final moments of the drama unfold, our hearts break along with his.

Sharon E. Scott’s Ma Rainey is sublime. From her first stormy entrance to her exit, she fills the stage with such life and energy that we perhaps feel we are in the presence of the real Ma. She is tough, but underneath her bluster and bravado is the heart of a true artist who truly knows the blues. Her monologue about the blues will captivate you, and when in the second act she sings her signature tune, you’ll want to beg for more. Brava.

Mark Clayton Southers has directed this play with the knowing hand of a master, someone who knows Wilson’s rhythm and style, and the music inherent in the text. His familiarity with Wilson gives him an edge, and the results are impressive.

So for theatre at its finest, get your tickets now. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
Click here for O&A tickets for the performance Saturday, Feb. 5, at greatly reduced prices.

Robert Jaquay has devoted his life to the arts and to LGBT issues.  He served as a member of the New York Library Association, the American Library Association, the Board of the Capital District Gay & Lesbian Center, the Gay & Lesbian Task Force, was president of the Board of Directors for the Aids Council of Northeastern NY, and chaired the ALA/GLBTRT Stonewall Book Awards Committee.  His love of the theatre has brought him to countless productions in NYC and beyond, and he and his partner also established a theatre scholarship at the South Colonie School District in Colonie, NY.

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