By Bob Fischbach
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Sit back and let “Gem of the Ocean ” wash over you like a powerful wave.
The pain of oppression, the ecstasy of release, the power of ancient ritual, the balm of human connection — they’re all there in the John Beasley Theater’s production of August Wilson’s soaring 1904 drama, which opened Friday.
Chronologically the first of Wilson’s 10 plays, each of which explores the black American experience in a different decade of the 20th century, “Gem ” finds its characters struggling with the concept of freedom amid steel-mill unrest in Pittsburgh.
Older ones, such as Aunt Ester and Solly Two Kings, carry firsthand knowledge of slavery and the underground railroad. The younger, like Citizen Barlow and Black Mary, approach self-determination as a mapless minefield of trial and error.
Still others, like police ward boss Caesar Wilks, find financial freedom and power in working for the man.
Wilson’s finely etched characters, and the poetry he finds in the language of the common man, mesh perfectly with John Beasley’s naturalistic approach to theater. It feels like a slice of truth, whether the lines come from a professional such as Beasley or an amateur who can’t match his gifts. The result: overpowering drama, leavened with great humor.
An example: Barlow (Andre McGraw) comes to Aunt Ester seeking redemption for an unnamed sin. Known as a washer of souls, she sends him to find two pennies lying together in the street. Later, her caregiver Black Mary asks her why.
“That’s only to give him something to do,” Ester replies to laughter. “He think there a power in them two pennies. He think when he find them, all his trouble will be over. But he need to think that before he can come face to face with himself.”
Nobody’s laughing now.
As Aunt Ester, TammyRa Jackson gives one of the finest dramatic performances of the season. You sense an aura around this deeply spiritual character, and you feel her advanced age— though the actress wears little makeup.
Matching her level is Andre McGraw as Citizen Barlow. A scene in which Ester transports him to the City of Bones, an unmarked grave of thousands of black ancestors, would make a doubter believe in seances.
Beasley gives earthy Solly a crack sense of humor, deep conviction and a salt-of -the -earth presence that make his performance memorable long before the play’s climactic turn of events.
Carl Brooks and Lakeisha Cox are simply great in the supporting roles of angry Caesar Wilks and his reserved sister, Black Mary.
Pacing could cut a bit from the show’s 2-hour, 50-minute length, but director Tyrone Beasley (John’s son) builds a solid and compelling evening, including his fine set design. Attention to detail extends to period costumes and extensive props.
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