Blues for an Alabama Sky
Begins their seventh season with
“Blues for an Alabama Sky”
Final Week!
Check out our awesome review below!
All Photos by Scott Smith
Written by Pearl Cleage
Directed by Antoinette Winstead
Set in Harlem, New York City, in 1930, at a time when the creative euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance has given way to the harsher realities of the Great Depression. Angel is a struggling blues singer and nightclub performer who cannot find a job. Her friend Guy, a costume designer, is also out of work but dreams of being hired to design dresses for the infamous Josephine Baker. Their neighbor Delia, a social worker, is trying to organize a family planning clinic in Harlem. Their friend Sam, a doctor, works long hours delivering babies at the Harlem Hospital and parties too much. And Leland, a recent transplant from Tuskegee, sees in Angel a memory of lost love and a reminder of those “Alabama skies where the stars are so thick it’s bright as day.”
Cast:
Angel Allen ~ Danielle King
Guy Jacobs ~ Anthony Campbell
Delia Patterson ~ Jenelva Carter
Sam Thomas ~ John Martin Fitzhugh
Leland Cunningham ~ Jacarri Williams
Understudies ~ Sharon Renee’ Shepherd and Jericho English
Crew:
Stage Manager ~ Morgan Jacobellis, Assistant Stage Manager ~ Jericho English,
Prop Coordinator ~ Cyndi Lucas, Set, Sound and Light Design, Eric Platt,
Costumes ~ Cast and Crew, Assistant Producer Danielle King and Producer Paul Riddle Jr.
Jump Start Theatre
108 Blue Star San Antonio, Texas 78204
Dates: February 8, 2008 to February 24, 2008*
Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows at 8 pm and Sunday Matinee at 4 pm
General Admission $16
Discounts for Military, Senior Citizens and Students $13
SATCO and ATAC members – $8
Only Cash or Check accepted at the door
Pay Online for Just $13
Please include the following when using Paypal;
show date, number in your party and phone number
For more information call (210) 656-0349 or visit www.myspace.com/therenaissanceguild
Theater review: Actress gives outstanding performance in ‘Alabama Sky’
Web Posted: 02/11/2008 06:07 PM CST
Deborah Martin
Express-News Staff Writer
Word to the wise: If Danielle King is onstage, that’s almost certainly a show that shouldn’t be missed.
King sinks her teeth into each role, creating one fully realized character after another. Her performance in “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” currently getting a strong treatment courtesy of the Renaissance Guild, is a case in point. Angel, a jazz singer, is a complex woman who works every one of her wiles to get what she wants.
She is a survivor, and King captures every nuance as Angel makes a series of choices that ultimately have tragic results. It’s a terrific performance, starting with her boozy stroll through the streets of Harlem and ending with her alone onstage, all sorts of thoughts playing out on her expressive face.
Pearl Cleage’s drama, directed with grace and authority by Antoinette Winstead, is set in the waning days of the Harlem Renaissance.
Angel has just lost her job after letting her former lover/employer know, in a very public way, exactly what she thinks about his recent marriage; she winds up, yet again, crashing in the run-down apartment of best pal Guy (Anthony Campbell), a gay fashion designer who dreams of creating costumes for Josephine Baker.
A couple of other friends provide moral support: Delia (Jenelva Carter), a social worker who puts most of her energy into trying to open a family-planning clinic, and Sam (John Martin Fitzhugh), a doctor with a fondness for partying into the wee hours.
The friends’ lives are forever altered when Angel takes up with Leland (Jacarri Williams), a moralistic widower from Alabama who takes a dim view of pretty much everything they see as important. That sets the stage for a shocking act of violence.
All of the performances are strong. Carter communicates a great deal about Delia’s inner life through her body language, which starts out stiff and restrained then gradually relaxes as she responds to Sam’s teasing flirtation. Fitzhugh invests Sam with a playful spirit and a tremendous confidence; he and Carter have great chemistry together.
Campbell avoids stereotypes in his portrayal of Guy, coming across as a strong man who would do anything for his friends and is absolutely certain his dreams will come true.
The scene in which he pointedly brings up homosexuality in front of Leland has a simmering quality that’s especially effective.
Even in his calmer moments, Williams gives Leland a dangerous aura that adds tension to every scene he’s in.
Add King’s commanding presence to that mix, and it’s a show that should be near the top of your “must see” list.
dlmartin@express-news.net