Review - Caravan Theater of Pittsburgh

Lower Ninth gives a rooftop view

by C. Denise Johnson

It’s fitting that the Caravan Theater of Pittsburgh would present a play centered around the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures on the 10th anniversary of the disaster. So Lower Ninth also recounts a situation similar to the leveling of the lower Hill District. It could be considered art and the life it imitates.

A barebones production--one act, three characters in the intimate confines of the Elsie Hillman Auditorium of the Kaufmann Center adjacent to the Hill House-- Lower Ninth  written in 2007 by Beau Willimon, is laden with metaphors and is full of standout performances.

Jomo Ray and Maurice Redwood (courtesy of John Gresh)

Lower Ninth opens with two men on a roof - the only thing saving them from the churning waters. The elder of the two, Malcolm (Jomo Ray) is reading aloud passages from the Ezekiel about destruction, judgement and new beginnings (another parallel) and EZ (Maurice Redwood) isn’t feeling particularly spiritual. And on the other side of the roof lies the remains of Lowboy (Sam Lothard) who EZ could not save.

Review: Lower Ninth offers view from rooftop

Review: Lower Ninth gives a rooftop view

Maurice Redwood and Sam Lothard

Although the circumstances of their situation gets top billing, the heart of this play is about human frailties and relationships, and director Edwin Lee Gibson pulls out the souls of these particular Black folks in bracing detail. Ray, Redwood and Lothard deliver powerful performances that are steeped in emotion and revelations.

Instead of being a spoiler, I will just say that Lower Ninth sparks deeper reflection of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. I would be remiss to not mention the work of make-up artist and wardrobe magician Cheryl El Walker (on top of her game considering she’s is working another production simultaneously) and kudo to artistic director John Gresh’s production team and lighting designer Terry Jachimiak II for the spectacular detail of the set design.

As this is a very limited run I encourage you to see Lower Ninth before it closes October 4th with a Sunday matinee; that affords you change to make the 8 p.m. performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Lower Ninth at the Elsie Hillman Auditorium of Kaufmann Center of the Hill House Association, 1825 Centre Ave., Hill District. $15-20. 412-392-4400 or www.showclix.com

Pittsburgh Playwrights' "Fences" hits sweet spot second time around

The second time around is a charm for Fences

By C. Denise Johnson

For the New Pittsburgh Courier

In the almost-decade since his mentor's untimely death, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company founder Mark Clayton Southers could not have known that he would producing “Fences” a second time during the year of August Wilson's 70^th birthday.

That birthday was noted in Pittsburgh, Wilson's ground-zero. The past year ended with an assured immediate future for the August Wilson Center for African American Center. The year began with continuing outreach via the 2014-2015 August Wilson Educational Project; WQED's special screening of its locally-incubated and co-produced The Ground on Which I Stand documentary shown on PBS's American Masters (which including a panel featuring Phylicia Rashad!) in the AWC.

That was followed Pittsburgh debut of How I Learned What I Learned, a one-man theatrical memoir written by Wilson and the annual August Wilson Monologue Competition continued uninterrupted. With last month’s “August Wilson’s Women,” the Hill District Bard was celebrated in a composite ode to the women in Pittsburgh Cycle.

This second coming of “Fences” is anything but a repeat, and definitely serendipitous. Last time around Southers was the producer in nearly every sense of the word designing and building sets and the rest of the behind-the-scenes grunt work; this time the founder is also the director. The cast is all new except for one exception, Kevin Brown; instead of reprising Gabriel he now portrays Troy Maxson. Rounding out the stellar ensemble is Sandra Dowe, Wali Jamal, Nia Woodson, Broadway veteran Anthony Chisholm, Maurice Redwood and Carter Redwood.

Troy Maxson is a man who daily tries to salvage his dignity. Along with his best friend Bono (Wali Jamal), his indulges in his payday ritual; replaying the work week with more than a couple of tall tales enhanced by a shared brown paper bag of gin. Troy’s oldest son Lyons (Maurice Redwood), an aspiring musician, stops by and asked to borrow $10. After sweating the young man, his wife Rose (Sandy Dowe) intervenes, gives Lyon the money after Troy gives her his weekly earnings and reminds him to finish the fence he promised her.

While Troy rules his castle, we learn all is not right in his kingdom. Bono alerts Troy that he knows the affair about Alberta. Cory (Carter Redwood) has grown into his own and rebels against his father’s objection to his dream to accept a college football scholarship. His brother Gabriel (Anthony Chisholm), a wounded WWII veteran, is also spreading his wings and moved from Troy’s house to a place of his own. After a minor run-in with the police, Troy bails Gabriel out of jail; in three weeks a hearing will determine if Gabriel should be return to an asylum. He tells Rose about his affair, an argument erupted that caught Cory’s attention, arriving at the door just in time to see his father grab his mother. Cory grabs his dad from behind and the two fight. On top of Cory’s earlier defiance, Troy tells the youth he’s about to “strike out.”

    From left: Carter Redwood, Wali Jamal, Sandy Dowe, Kevin Brown (photo by Gail L. Manker).

At its heart, “Fences” is adapting to changes in life, society and family; and this is where the importance of casting appears. With the exception of Chisholm, all of the actors are local. They share a commitment to Wilson’s work and have all appeared on stage with one another in productions throughout the region. Carter Redwood grew up on Pittsburgh Playwright Theater’s stage; his brother is a Playwrights’ veteran on and offstage.

Brown is searing and heart wrenching as a prideful man whose life unravels with the passage of time. Dowd’s Rose is the glue that holds the family together – including the baby Troy bring home after its mother dies in childbirth. As Bono, Jamal is the sage that steadies Troy as his reckoning approaches. Maurice is effective as the slightly-estranged older son while Carter is a bundle is bursting maturity who "mans up" to the imposing Troy. Chisholm’s portrayal of Gabriel is fragile and haunting and newcomer Nia Woodson is adorably understated as an eight-year old Raynell.

 The set is the unsung star of the production as Fences is a presented on a revolving stage (kudos to Tony Ferrieri), and period pieces --check out the refrigerator-- and costuming (and make-up by Cheryl El Walker) add to the authenticity of the production.

“Fences” continues at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company weekends through June 7 with 3 p.m. Sunday matinees. For prices or to purchase tickets log on to pittsburghplaywrights.com or 412-687-4686 for groups.

Everything's Coming up August

Everything's coming up... August?!

As we transition from the afterglow of Black History Month, those of us in Pittsburgh have a extra reason for pride. The Ground on Which I Stand documentary shown on PBS's American Masters was such a boost to region as well as spark renewed interest in August Wilson and the August Wilson Center for African American Culture 2.0.

The afterglow continues in an extended “after-party” of sorts with the Pittsburgh's Public Theater's latest production, How I Learned What I Learned, opening on Thursday.

Penned in 2003, How I Learned is a biographical/memoir written and performance by August Wilson, reminiscing about the influences on his work, including his days in Pittsburgh growing up, as a Centre Avenue poet and how the Hill District community help influence and inspire his epic Pittsburgh (Century) Cycle.

I had an opportunity to chat with Eugene Lee, the actor charged with conjuring a favored son of the Hill. Some of you may recall that Pittsburgh's Montae Russell was in a similar scenario with Thurgood when he portrayed the late Supreme Court Justice. Russell's one-man turn required him to assume 25

different characters whereas Lee only has August. The difference is that Lee is portraying someone who only left us ten years ago in his hometown.

“We're not trying to copy him, look like or sound or walk like August,” says Lee, a veteran of four Wilson plays. “I try to channel his spirit through his words, his characters, his language. (How I Learned) will offer some insight into the man behind the characters.”

As for Pittsburgher and Wilson's long-time dramaturge Todd Kreidler, he feels the weight of the production squarely on his shoulders; he's the director. I ran into him on the way to interview Lee (they both recently did a run of How I Learned in Atlanta), so I asked him. He emphatically said “YES!”as he continued his way ladened with binders and notebooks. Suffice it to say that all are aware of the significance and implications of presenting this production on “ground zero,” here in Pittsburgh.

How I Learned What I Learned by August Wilson, co-conceived and directed by Todd Kreidler is playing now at the Pittsburgh Public Theater through April 5 (no performances on Monday).

Tickets are available calling the box office at Theater Square, 412-316-1600 or purchase online at http://ppt.org. Groups of 10 or more qualify for a group discount. Call Katie at 412-316-8200 x 704 or kconaway@ppt.org for more information.