Every year there seems to be a Broadway play that really brings people in by the busload to New York City to support the arts.
Last year so many people saw the brilliant Branden Jacobs-Jenkins family drama “Purpose.” The year before, people couldn’t wait to see Samuel L. Jackson back on stage in August Wilson’s “ The Piano Lesson.” This year, another August Wilson play has become the play to see this season: “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”
“Joe Turner” is the second play in Wilson’s ten-play cycle and follows couple Seth and Bertha Holly, whose lives are turned upside down once a mysterious stranger and his young daughter arrive at their boardinghouse in Pittsburgh.
Debbie Allen directs Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson in this Wilson classic. Per usual, Ruben Santiago Hudson, who in many ways is the keeper of the August Wilson legacy, is brilliant on stage. I was curious to see Cedric on Broadway. I’ve seen glimmers of him as a thoughtful and serious actor and he did not disappoint. His chemistry with Henson and the rest of the cast was worth every penny.
Wilson is best known for “The Pittsburgh Cycle,” which serve as a detailed exploration of the experiences of the African American community in the 20th century. You may be familiar with some like “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson,” and “Jitney,” as well as “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Many of Wilson’s plays have been produced in theaters large and small and even on the big screen.
It is so important for our community to support the arts so more producers uplift artists and actors of color. It is important for us to go to theaters, large and small, to see ourselves, our experiences, and our histories on stage.
However, we do need to have a collective conversation about theater etiquette at some point. Actors are there to bring stories to life and I imagine it is very difficult to do so with candy wrappers, cell phones chiming, the bright light of texting, and the myriad of side conversations. If we want more of our stories on stage, we must support this endeavor financially and also once we are in the building.
I do hope you will make time to see “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” this season. It is being held at the Barrymore Theater until July 26.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of book “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream” and is co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.