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August Wilson brought the rhythms of jazz and blues to his Pittsburgh cycle of plays. He put gospel, blues, and jazz into the dialogue of his characters living, walking, and dying while Black. Seven Guitars is a play of rhythm and harmonies, each character representing a guitar. Manny Buckley directs this production for City Lit Theater, now in its 44th year; its work is often based on contemporary literature.
Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle fits in the realm of literature by dissecting the 20th century by decade in the lives of Black people migrating from the South. Seven Guitars is set in 1948 when America had entered an era of post-war prosperity, but not for everyone. It begins at the funeral of Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton in the backyard of a building in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. His friends have gathered at the repast to tell stories and reflect on Floyd's life, which was on the cusp of blues stardom. Jordan Gleaves plays Barton with the energy and charm of a hustling musician looking to make his break instead of waiting on it.
Maureen Azzun plays his fiance, Vera, who brings the mystical into the remembrances, claiming to have seen Floyd lifted by angels and carried to heaven. Azzun gives the character vulnerability and projects heartbreak at having lost Floyd again. Black people who migrated from the South brought a strong sense of force outside of traditional religion. My relatives claimed to have seen angels, dead people, and sometimes malevolent spirits. Some kept a "conjure chicken" to eat any roots or powders put on your land to put a hex on your household or steal your man. In Seven Guitars, a rooster crows ominously in a yard down the street.
I loved Jarvell Williams's performance as harmonica player Canewell. His character fits the country folks who unabashedly kept to their roots. Brian Bradford, who plays drummer Red Carter, has the dapper carriage of what was once called a man on the make. Robert Howard's performance as Hedley was scene-stealing at its best. Hedley is a Caribbean immigrant who brings his sense of entrepreneurship with a food cart ready to feed people after a funeral or before a big boxing match. Hedley is most attuned to mystical visions, and memories of his father haunt him.
It felt familiar to see the four men singing rhymes and telling tales. Wilson's dialogue reveals where my childhood's jump rope songs and urban legends were born. It is unique to the Black American experience. Even in sadness or tragedy, that dialogue is something comforting and reassuring. It is also a chance for others to see an authentic portrayal of what happened after the Great Migrations north.
Floyd had been in Chicago and returned to get Vera to come with him and get the band back together. He had a hit record but did not make any money from it, as happened to many artists. An unscrupulous manager had hustled him, and he wanted to return with a different approach and with his friends to have his back. Floyd speaks of Chicago as a promised land for blues musicians. He saw Muddy Waters and marveled at the number of people who turned out to hear him.
Two other characters make up the seven. Andrea Conway-Diaz plays Louise, who is described as larger-than-life. The character is larger-than-life but feels like a one-note performance. Every line is said with the same emphasis, beats, and gestures. Director Buckley could have tempered the performance by keeping the rhythm on track. Louise's character is like the bridge in a song that keeps coming in like the chorus. Tiffany Williams is a refreshing shot of sass and jazz in the play as fast girl Ruby, pregnant by one lover, who was shot by the other. One is in jail, and the other is in the graveyard.
This talented cast needs consistent pacing and a more seamless dialogue blending. Seven Guitars is like a blues song with call and response structure. Each man has been in the workhouse for vagrancy and worthlessness in the eyes of white police officers. They live a life of pawning items to eat and pay for a proper headstone and can still find joy in Joe Louis beating a white man to retain the world championship. They play bid whist, smoke cheap cigars, and take women for granted. It's a decent portrayal of Black life in America
I liked Milo Bue's scenic design of the backyard where everyone meets. The weathered wood railings, an old screen door, and a small patch of flowers felt familiar. Rachel S. Parent's costume design is fantastic and spot on. People used to dress up in the '40s and '50s, even if it was to go to the market. Black people have always paid particular attention to looking "clean," as fashionable and well-put together.
City Lit's production of Seven Guitars is entertaining but needs some heat to create that distinct Wilson banter. It is as unique as Shakespeare's pentameter or Mamet's cruel and desperate staccato. The Pittsburgh Cycle is uniquely American, and Seven Guitars is written in the Black American voice and deserves to be preserved properly. Some fine-tuning is needed to give August Wilson's words and voice their due.
Seven Guitars is now playing through December 1 at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Edgewater. For tickets and more information, please visit www.citylit.org.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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