By John Keenan
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Published Saturday
October 19, 2002
Who Joe Turner is and how he affects the characters of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" are not revealed right away by playwright August Wilson. In fact, by the time Wilson introduces the name in his script, theatergoers are long past wondering about the title, caught up in the many threads Wilson has thrown out in the first act that he weaves into a beautiful whole by the stunning climax.
"Joe Turner," one of a cycle of Wilson plays examining African-American life throughout the 1900s, is set in 1911 at the house of Seth and Bertha Holly. The Hollys' Pittsburgh home is a way station for blacks heading north to find new lives - or perhaps to reconnect with old ones.
Into the Hollys' home stalks Herald Loomis, a man who has traveled from the deep South with his young daughter in search of his missing wife. Themes of reconnection and of travel - "the road" is a frequent reference - dominate "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," which initially appears to be a fairly rambling piece - an array of character studies - before Wilson begins pulling it all together.
In the first act, while the questions of who Loomis is and what he intends to do hang over the proceedings, the real interest is watching Wilson's characters interact. This production has a cast that makes that process captivating. Presented by the John Beasley Theater and Workshop, "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" is directed by Donald Douglass, the acting artistic director of Chicago's Free Street Theatre. He has cast Jonathan Wilson as Seth, the blustering but good-hearted proprietor of the boarding house. Wilson brings a great deal of humor to the role while consistently presenting Seth as a man of both vision and conviction. Evelyn Bullock plays his even-tempered wife, Bertha, who serves as a kind of den mother to the tenants who wander in and out of their home. As Loomis, Tyrone Beasley (John's son) is a foreboding figure, dominating the stage, wearing a crumpled hat and a long coat that seem designed to disguise him. Seth takes a dislike to him almost immediately, but audiences are more likely to be intrigued. Herald Loomis is clearly the heart of the play, a dispossessed man trying to reconnect with some portion of his old life, if only to discover what his new life can be.
A sense of impermanence hangs over several of the residents of the boarding house, with Seth and Bertha providing both anchor and example. That impermanence also contributes to the question of what Herald's plans are exactly, and Beasley's performance gives the audience a Herald who seems both dangerous and sympathetic. The cast as a whole is excellent, making the most of Wilson's often-poetic dialogue. V.L. Alston stands out as Seth's friend, who offers both charms and advice in the manner of a spiritual counselor. The play speeds by, in part because Douglass has cut the role of Reuben, a young neighbor boy who befriends Herald's shy daughter. In the end, Wilson leaves a few questions unanswered. But there is no question that if it can continue to mount productions of this quality, the John Beasley Theater is on its way to being one of the premiere venues in town.
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