Poetry and Power

Ma Rainey benefits from a taut, you-are-there approach.

by David Anthony Fox

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Published: Jun 1, 2010

August Wilson's premature death (in 2005, at age 60) robbed us of more than a wonderful playwright. Wilson was by turns historian, philosopher and the unrepentantly angry voice of African-American conscience. So it's no surprise that the 10 plays of his monumental Pittsburgh Cycle are an extraordinary assemblage of past and present, intimate and epic. Wilson's greatest works — including Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone and The Piano Lesson — are astonishing in their seamless blend of humble personal narrative and Shakespearean grandeur.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is among the earliest plays in the cycle. We are present at a 1927 recording session by Rainey, one of the great blues singers of her age — but a difficult-to-manage personality, becoming more so as her popularity wanes. The character of Rainey herself plays a pivotal role in the piece but has relatively little stage time. The focus is more prominently on her ensemble of supporting musicians — especially Levee, a flashy young trumpeter and aspiring bandleader; and Toledo, a pianist and laconic elder statesman who is deeply critical of Levee's youthful brashness. The men are natural storytellers, and much of Ma Rainey is their narratives. It's a talky play for sure, and probably not for everybody. But even at this early stage in his career, Wilson's poetry and power are firmly in place.

Irene Lewis' production at the Philadelphia Theatre Co. — a shared effort with Baltimore's Centerstage, where it debuted in April — preserves much of that power. But unlike some of Wilson's later works, which often stray from boundaries of conventional realism, Ma Rainey is consistently naturalistic and benefits from a taut, you-are-there approach. Lewis seems to strive for something more symbolic — almost as if to retrofit Ma Rainey with the stylistic developments of Wilson's later plays. The result is a mixed bag, with some beautifully staged moments alternating with awkward ones, and a generally too-slow pace. The performances, too, are mixed. E. Faye Butler (Ma) makes the most of her few opportunities to sing, and is likewise marvelous in her quiet scenes — but her big moments border on caricature. The band members do some fine work (David Fonteno, especially), but at times are hampered by direction that calls for oration rather than conversation. Riccardo Hernández's set serves as a good metaphor for the problem. Surrounding a realistic recording studio are dark walls bearing the titles of Ma's songs, in bold white letters. It's a handsome effect, and yet it takes us out of the moment — we're literally staring at Ma's iconic legacy instead of engaging with her as a living presence.

Through June 13, $46-$59, Philadelphia Theatre Co. at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., 215-985-0420, philadelphiatheatrecompany.org.

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