Life is an adventure, proclaims Aunt Ester, the elderly monarch of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. "Elderly" may be putting it mildly. Wise and sassy, this 285-year-old, white-haired woman carries the history of the African-American experience in America. Ester was brought to this country in chains as a scared, 12-year-old girl. She lived through slavery, emancipation and the troubled times still surrounding the supposedly "free" blacks.
The play is set in 1904, in Ester's rooming house in the Hill Section of Pittsburgh. Like the other plays in Wilson's 10-play chronicle of the Black Experience, this one is chock-full of colorful characters, abounds with symbolism, and searches for universal truths. The play's main character, Citizen Barlow, has taken refuge in Ester's house after he pleads with her to "wash his soul," a service Ester apparently has done for others.
Ester's house also shelters a shy young woman, Black Mary, who flees her brother's house for reasons that become obvious as the play unfolds. Mary is shocked to learn that Citizen, a young man recently relocated from the South, has inadvertently killed a man by lying about his own actions. In addition to a half-dozen "live" characters, the playwright also has fashioned an inanimate character in the town mill. It is the economic engine that feeds this section of town and is the place where most of the black townsfolk earn their living. The white mill owners have figured out a system to shrink the paychecks of its workers to almost nothing, causing Citizen to wonder whether Abraham Lincoln did them a favor.
Although the play deals with the plight of African Americans and darkness of the human spirit, it also has moments of laughter and joy. Playwright Wilson, who died last year, would undoubtedly be proud of this production at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. The Rep's artistic staff has imported top-notch talent both in front of and behind the footlights. It is no surprise to discover that the director, Timothy Douglas, directed the world premiere of Wilson's Radio Golf. He works similar magic here.
Shining brightest among the new faces onstage is Doug Brown as Eli. This character opens the show by singing out in a strong, bass voice, "No mo' auction block for me." Songs pop up throughout the play, and each character seems to have his or her own tune. They range from well-known gospel numbers to songs once sung by slaves as they toiled in the fields. Eli and his longtime friend, Solly Two Kings (Ernest Perry Jr.), create some of the play's most memorable scenes. Perry Jr. is another bright star in this constellation of talent. As the two men "shoot the breeze" with each other or assist Aunt Ester in her soul washing, they are completely in synch with each other. This is an important contrast to the other men, particularly Caesar Wilks (Ray Anthony Thomas). He is the play's villain, a gun-toting deputy who keeps order among the townsfolk.
Although Aunt Ester and others tolerate him, Caesar slips farther and farther away from their influence. It is an especially difficult role, and Thomas does an excellent job in maintaining a balance here. Shane Taylor also gives Citizen Barlow the right mix of awkward youthfulness and manly pride.
On the distaff side, Stephanie Berry is a wonder as the magical Aunt Esther. As the onstage characters fall under her spell as she tells about a spiritual resting place, the "city of bones," so, too, does the audience become equally rapt. Less flashy but still impressive is Rep company member Lanise Antoine Shelley as Black Mary. A housekeeper of great skill, she keeps the rooming house humming during the long stretches while Aunt Ester rests in her bedroom. Shelley has many moments to shine, especially in one-on-one conversations with her brother and with Citizen
Barlow. Peter Silbert, another Rep company member, is the only Caucasian member of the cast. As a disheveled traveling salesman, he frequently brings news from the towns surrounding Pittsburgh. He also becomes a central figure in Act II, when he attempts to shield Solly from the law.
The onstage talent is complemented by superior production values. The set features the dingy-but-homey kitchen in Aunt Ester's house. All the mismatched furniture seems practically worn out, as if it had been found at the city dump. Costumes are appropriate to the period. They appear as well worn as the furniture. In contrast, the best-dressed and most profitable man is Caesar (after he sold out to the whites). In showing the heartaches, disappointments and humble joys of these characters, Wilson demonstrates that life is indeed "an adventure." It's one theatergoers should be sure not to miss.
