PicksInSix Review: Gem of the Ocean - Goodman Theatre

“GEM” – “Better To Die In Truth”
By ED TRACY | PicksInSix®

There is both dazzling beauty and gritty realism in the Chuck Smith directed production of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” that opened on Monday at Goodman. Set in the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1904, chronologically the first in Wilson’s Century Cycle series although written and produced two years before his death at 60 in 2005. “Gem” premiered at Goodman Theatre in 2003 and debuted on Broadway a year later.  

With an eye-popping, highly-stylized Linda Buchanan set enhanced by Mike Tutaj projections, this artful production must look markedly different than its predecessors. Comparisons will no doubt be made, but having never seen this show myself, I will simply state that I am particularly privileged to experience it for the first time at the Goodman, whose rich history is inexorably linked to the playwright himself. History works here on so many fascinating levels. With a powerful, seasoned cast, “Gem” is must-see theatre.

This is a drama about a drifter named Citizen Barlow (Sharif Atkins) who is riddled with guilt that is devouring his soul. Citizen is taken in for spiritual absolution by the ageless Aunt Ester (Lisa Gaye Dixon) and surrounded in the safe haven of her residence at 1893 Wylie Avenue by Ester’s caretaker Eli (A.C. Smith) and Black Mary (Sydney Charles). The sinister constable Caesar (Kelvin Roston, Jr.) who is Black Mary’s brother, has Ester in his sights while promoting fear and viciously prompting violence against the poor and destitute workers who cannot rise above the oppression and poverty of the times. A stolen bucket of nails from the mill leads to a falsely accused Black man who chooses to take his own life instead of living a life that would surely brand him a criminal. His death sparks a protest by the workers that is threatening the future of the community.

It is Eli, with Solly Two Kings (James A. Williams) and Rutherford Selig (Gary Houston), who help Citizen understand the challenges he is facing and the dangers of being Black in America. He is attracted to Black Mary and through his journey to the City of Bones, has a spiritual awakening. However, the constant threat posed by Caesar to anyone stepping outside the narrow boundaries of his representation of the law leads to a dramatic confrontation. It is this dynamic that leads Ester to try to protect those close to her from harm, with dire consequences.

Light, shadows and special effects enhance Evelyn Danner’s costumes in this stunning production. The probing original music and sound suite by Pornchanok (Nok) Kanchanabanca creates an atmosphere so profound that, at times, you could hear a pin drop in the Goodman’s Albert. It is in those moments that August Wilson’s brilliance resonates with a level of emotion that can only be experienced in the theatre.

I am constantly assimilating the interconnections of the Century Cycle and never pass up an opportunity to add to my understanding of August Wilson’s masterwork. Nor should you. The Chicago theatre community includes legacy directors, actors and other theatre artists who are layering their own contributions and mining stories exposing racism and social injustice. “Gem” presents unsettling truths about the Black experience and ponders the question: “What good is freedom if you can’t do anything with it?” which beckons the broader dialogue we so desperately need to influence attitudes and eliminate negative stereotypes and opinions.  

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Goodman Theatre
August Wilson’s
GEM OF THE OCEAN
through February 27

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PicksInSix Review: Fireflies - Northlight Theatre

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WE ARE ALL PLAYING WITH FIRE
Guest Contributor | Scott Gryder

The audience was delightfully greeted with the nostalgic doo-wop of The Drifters as we entered the theater for Northlight’s “Fireflies” and the mood was set. We were traveling back to the ‘60s and we were seated to take a sneak peek, like a fly on the wall, into an intimate kitchen setting. Despite the charming design, however, the sentimental setting was quickly upset when the first sounds of bombs shook the space, and the sheer intensity of sound and lights made this fly want to scatter. Not only were we entering a home, we were entering a war zone.

After a booming start, the air was quickly cleared when introduced to the playful marriage dynamic of Chanell Bell’s feisty and energetic Olivia and the charisma and bravado of Al’Jaleel McGhee’s Charles. Their natural ease and chemistry, particularly in the more comedic and lighthearted moments, was refreshing, cheerfully balancing the delights of domestic life against the literally exploding world outside of their cozy kitchen. Soon we realized that there were also ticking bombs and landmines to be found hidden throughout their relationship and home. As secrets were revealed and confessions made, the laminated veneer of their relationship was peeled away to reveal their true aggressive and destructive natures.

“Fireflies,” the second in the trilogy of The Love* Plays by Donja R. Love, focuses on the marriage of Olivia and Charles Grace and their roles, both in society and within their relationship. He, a celebrated reverend, speaks for the people during the Civil Rights movement, and she, a “lady-like” homemaker, is also Charles’s voice, as Olivia is his inspired speechwriter. When the couple starts to challenge the integrity of the parts that each is playing, the humor that kept the destructive flames of their secrets at bay is snuffed out, and they begin to burn down everything that they’d built together.

Director Mikael Burke stages the piece in two worlds—shared scenes and audience direct address—highlighting the moods and tensions balanced between the duo, while also giving the audience a direct window into the mind of each character. Regrettably, the piece does start to sputter to a close when the audience is presented with what feels like three possible endings. The final three scenes heighten to dramatic conclusion, only to restart the narrative again; leaving nothing to the imagination, no questions left unanswered. If only life were that tidy.

Scott Penner’s stylized kitchen set thrusts towards the audience with a forced perspective, much like a painting, emphasizing the parallel of art mirroring life and much like the emerging themes of “Fireflies.” The costumes by Gregory Graham are darling and accented, without feeling like period pieces. Eric Watkins lights magically transport us from kitchen-to-porch with gentle, shadow-like, shifts. Similarly, sound designer Christie Chiles Twillie helps accent locations with subtle sounds of crickets and idling cars, while also, combined with Graham’s wall of flash bulbs, dropping bombs of an erupting force.

“Fireflies” genuinely presents the domestic power stereotypes that continue to plague us throughout our society and relationships today. We strive to be true to ourselves, while attempting to give fully to the ideals that we love and the roles to which we are committed. Coupled with the very real civil unrest currently blazing across our country, “Fireflies” forces us to face those struggles in the shocking reflection of Olivia and Charles. In a way, we are all living in a powder keg.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | SCOTT GRYDER received a Non-Equity Jeff Award for his performance in the one-man show BUYER & CELLAR. www.thescottgryder.com 

PHOTO|Michael Brosilow

NORTHLIGHT THEATRE
Presents
FIREFLIES
through February 20, 2022
9501 Skokie Blvd

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(847) 673-6300

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