It’s the blues. It’s not supposed to be uplifting.
[Cast of August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at Round House Theatre. Photo by Teresa Castracane.]
A review of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Bethesda’s Round House Theatre
By Tom Navratil
Despite reasonably vigorous efforts to keep up, I had never before experienced the work of towering American playwright August Wilson (two Pulitzers, National Humanities Medal, a Tony Award, among many other recognitions). A vivid production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, by Round House Theatre in collaboration with Olney Theatre Center, provided a powerful initiation.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which opened on Broadway in 1984, was Wilson’s breakthrough play. It is one of ten works in his American Century Cycle, a series which depicts African-American life across the twentieth century, and forms the primary source of his acclaim. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, set in Chicago in 1927, is the only one of the ten which takes place outside his native Pittsburgh, and is the only one to feature a real historical figure, the famous singer and early recording artist Ma Rainey, known as “The Mother of the Blues.”
The entire action concerns the recording of a single blues song, of the same title as the play. And yet the story covers a whole lot more ground.
[Nicole Michelle Haskins (Ma Rainey) in August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at Round House Theatre. Photo by Teresa Castracane.]
Most of the characters are African-American musicians dealing with America’s racial caste system. In powerful vignettes, their stories emerge one by one, illuminating the harsh realities and pervasive violence of the era. Travails unrelated to racism also emerge, as when Ro Boddie, outstanding in the role of the pianist Toledo, delivers an especially evocative rendering of the end of his marriage.
The first part of the play emits a Waiting for Godot vibe, as the musicians and recording studio bosses wonder why Ma Rainey hasn’t shown up for the session. Tensions build on multiple vectors, like storm clouds gathering moisture and momentum. I didn’t know whether Ma would appear or not, but clearly something major was brewing. Then Nicole Michelle Haskins, magnificent in the title role, sweeps onstage with force-of-nature energy and shapes the atmosphere from then on.
From that point, the pace of the play picks up, with drama and subplots abounding, weaving and flowing together, much like the way the instruments of a band combine to carry a song forward.
One theme is the clash between an established star and a hungry young upstart. Yao Dogbe, in the role of the horn player Levee, brings pathos, glimmering charisma, and an antic comic sensibility to that character’s heartbreaking trajectory. Artistic differences, a power struggle, and a romantic rivalry pit Levee against Ma, the domineering ruler of the band. Both of the opposing characters are presented in sympathetic light. I wonder to what extent August Wilson, in his rise to the apex of the playwriting world, experienced tensions of this sort, on either side of the artistic hierarchy.
Amid a sterling cast, Haskins and Dogbe stand out for their exceptional vigor. And of particular distinction, Haskins’ singing voice. Wow.
[Ro Boddie (Toledo), Yao Dogbe (Levee), Derrick Truby (Slow Drag) in August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at Round House Theatre. Photo by Teresa Castracane.]
One further note on the performers: Kanysha Williams conveys incredible nuance in the strap-hanger role of Ma’s lover, Dussie Mae, the only character who is play-acting, as in pretending and showboating. I wouldn’t say Williams steals the show, but her just-short-of-too-much vamping electrifies the stage. A home-grown talent, educated at The Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Washington National Opera Institute, Williams’ dramatic range marks her as one to watch for in the future, as well as in this production.
The warm and inviting set is an architectural triumph. Scenic Designers Arnel Sancianco and Lily Tomasic created a structure which, in concert with Minjoo Kim’s adroit lighting work, cleverly conveys the various levels of the studio.
In a play about recording a song, the musical component is vital. The song performances soared well beyond convincing, to the point of making me, and I would venture the audience more broadly, want to hear a whole concert from this group. A standing ovation for Music Director Cedric D. Lyles.
[Kanysha Williams (Dussie Mae), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Ma Rainey) in August Wilson’s MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM at Round House Theatre. Photo by Teresa Castracane.]
The costumes are very entertaining in their own right, realistically stylish for the era, and with just the right amount of flamboyance. They truly pop. Thank you, Costume Designer Samantha C. Jones.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom portrays survivors, each with their own method of coping with life itself and with the cruelty and unfairness they faced. In a story with many strands, it exposes with raw candor the long painful history of racial oppression in this country. It also explores religious faith versus skepticism, the wisdom of experience against youthful dreams, the joy of music-making juxtaposed with the suffering that blues music evokes. There is a lot to contend with in this play. This production is powerful and riveting, and will engage you on many levels.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is playing at Round House Theatre, which is located at 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814. The show has been extended through October 18. Runtime is approximately two and a half hours, with an intermission. Tickets can be purchased by calling 240.644.1100, online at RoundHouseTheatre.org, or by visiting the box office.
Tom Navratil is a Contributing Writer to Washington Unbound and the author of Dog’s Breakfast, a comedy of international intrigue. Read Norah’s interview with Tom, covering his novel, his past career in the U.S. foreign service, and many things in between.
