August Wilson's remarkable play, Gem of the Ocean, part of his cycle of plays about the black experience in Pittsburgh, gives us a working-class family in 1904, not all that long after slavery was ended. Starting with flavorful ordinary conversation, like Horton Foote, the play grows and expands into real theater with unforgettable characters. There is lots of exposition, but it's grand, and the stories are vivid, with a sprinkling of folk humor. The fine ensemble cast, including an extraordinary Phylicia Rashad, who burns up the stage as a very old seer, draws us into this drama through Wilson's insight into the good, the bad and the weird.
The old survivor, played by Anthony Chisolm, the dynamic antagonist, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, feisty LisaGay Hamilton with young rebel John Earl Jelks -- they, and all of the cast, are fascinating characters. In Act Two a mystical spell is cast - a surreal, dreamlike voodooish spell -- an exorcism that is a very far-out trip to experience on a Broadway stage. The fine set by David Gallo, creative, defining costumes by Constanza Romero and super lighting by Donald Holder all help make director Kenny Leon's vivid vision come alive. Yes, love will go a long way in making you right with yourself. This play really is a gem.
