”What took this show so long to get here?” is the question that popped into mind while watching Lackawanna Blues, a play written, performed and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson which is now running at the Mark Taper Forum. First produced in 2001 in NYC at the Joseph Papp Public Theater, Lackawanna Blues has finally come to L.A.—and the city is so much richer for it. Santiago-Hudson, a veteran stage actor who has been showered with awards over the years—especially for his work in the plays of August Wilson—does a remarkable job in Lackawanna Blues, delving into his family history and bringing it to life in a monologue brimming with humor, love, compassion, truth…and the blues. Sitting by his side on stage (simple but evocative set by Michael Carnahan) is the New Orleans guitarist Chris Thomas King, who soulfully underlines Santiago-Hudson’s tale of growing up in the 1950s in the black section of Lackawanna, New York, and being raised by his foster mother Miss Rachel, affectionately known as Nanny. Every once in a while, Santiago-Hudson quits talking, whips out a harmonica, and harmonizes with King, in classic blues fashion. The star of the show, though, is definitely Nanny. Despite being unseen, she takes shape in our minds and becomes a real person, thanks to Santiago-Hudson’s brilliant way with description and imitation, capturing every aspect of this remarkable woman’s character. Owner of a boarding house, she gave shelter and food to countless numbers of black folks, most of them blue-collar workers in the then-thriving local factories and Great Lakes shipyards, others of whom were more marginal types, ex-jailbirds, disabled veterans of WW II, professional gamblers and battered wives. She also had a soft spot for animals and took in chickens, abandoned dogs, and even a baby raccoon, who grew so accustomed to domestic life that he would scream his head off if she was ever late with his breakfast. There was a tough side to the woman as well. In one scene she faced off against the irate husband of one of those battered wives, who came to the boarding house to take her back—with a pistol in his hand. Nanny confronted him, whipped out her own pistol, and sent him packing. Later that night, she opened the doors to her after-hours juke joint and celebrated her victory by drinking and dancing till dawn. Santiago-Hudson commands the stage at all times in Lackawanna Blues, delivering his monologue in charismatic fashion, immortalizing not only the indefatigable Nanny but many of the raffish, often hilarious denizens of her boarding house. His performance—and his description of African-American life in Lackawanna—is both vivid and funny…and above all touching. Don’t miss it.
