I consider it a blessing any time I can experience an August Wilson play. The 10 plays in his canon, which depict Black life through the centuries, are always so powerful and poignantly written. All of his plays have a mesmerizing, penetrating spirituality to them. Wilson always manages to bring the ancestors and their plight into the characters he puts on stage. He lets audiences experience the spiritual connection that we all have with the ancestors and the gifts that we may be blessed with. “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (W. 47 Street), is an incredibly moving play and one not to be missed.
It tells the story of a group of people who are all connected to a boardinghouse in Pittsburgh: the owners, Bertha and Seth; long-time boarder Bynum, who has the spiritual gift to bind people together; Herald Loomis, who is searching for his wife Martha, and his daughter Zonia; and Jeremy Furlow, Mattie Campbell, and Molly Cunningham, who are other boarders at the house. We also get to meet Rutherford Selig, a people finder and traveling merchant. Reuben Scott is a young boy who lives next door to the boardinghouse and befriends Zonia.
Wilson meticulously crafts a story that shows how people can come down very different roads in life and the inner demons they are battling with. It also shows how we have to be able to handle the tragedies in our lives and, once we come through them, be able to truly find and embrace ourselves. This story has so many levels, twists, and turns; it is something that you must experience for yourself.
There is a pleasure in witnessing this tremendously spiritual, sometimes funny, sometimes frightening story coming to fruition before your eyes. It is a tale of lost love, lost hope, losing oneself in your own misery, and finding salvation when that seemed impossible. It also points out the power of the human spirit, and that once we accept who we are, we find our song in life and we should sing it.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson in “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” at Ethel Barrymore Theatre. (Julieta Cervantes photo)
One of the things I loved about being in this audience was looking around at the generations of Black families who had come together to see an August Wilson production on Broadway. This phenomenal cast was definitely up to the task — they are absolutely superb!
Cedric the Entertainer delivers a stunning performance as Seth, the boardinghouse owner. He is funny yet aggressive when necessary, and has a great on-stage chemistry with Taraji P. Henson, who plays his wife Bertha. Henson is absolutely splendid in her Broadway debut. She plays the character with compassion and heart. Ruben Santiago-Hudson is sublime as Bynum. Whenever Santiago-Hudson takes the stage, he is flawless, but when he takes the stage in an August Wilson play, the power he exudes makes you know that all the stars in the heavens have aligned. Joshua Boone is mesmerizing as Herald Loomis, who plays this character with such intensity you find yourself captivated. Savannah Commodore is delightful as Zonia and quite impressive in her Broadway debut.
Tripp Taylor is engaging as Jeremy Furlow. Nimene Sierra Wureh delivers an unforgettable performance as Mattie, a confused young woman looking for love. Maya Boyd is memorable as Molly Cunningham, a girl who only wants men for what they can do for her. Bradley Stryker portrays Selig, a white traveling merchant and people finder with a mixture of friendliness, but also a pride in his family’s slave-catching reputation. Jackson Edward Davis was charming and funny in his Broadway debut as Zonia’s friend Reuben Scott.
Debbie Allen’s sterling direction of this production is awe-inspiring. As you sit in the theater, you will feel blessed. You will know you have seen a masterpiece.
Every aspect of this production screams Broadway’s best. On the technical side, it is dazzling and detailed with scenic design by David Gallo, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Stacey Derosier, sound design by Justin Ellington, and hair and wig design by Mia Neal. We do not often get to experience this type of theater — the kind that will leave you speechless — on Broadway. Make sure you go and see it.
For tickets, visit joeturnerbway.com.