Matthew Murray as Sam, Iyanu Bishop as Delia, Jacqueline Youm as Angel, and Cainan Grier as Guy. Photo by Kelci Friend, Freckled Fox Photography.
“They ask about jobs, not family planning,” complains Dr. Sam (charmingly played by Matthew J. Murray) about his patients, “They see the future in the faces of their children.” Silver Spring Stage’s production of “Blues for an Alabama Sky,” written by by Pearl Cleage, begs the question: What was the future for Black Americans in 1930s Harlem? Have they overcome any of the obstacles they faced since then?
Director Kevin Sockwell has guided his ensemble to a moving performance.
Popular culture often depicts Jazz Age Harlem as a golden era for Black people in this country, but by the 1930s Jim Crow and the Great Depression had tarnished whatever glitter there might have been. Singer and activist Josephine Baker may have been drinking champagne, but she had to emigrate to Paris to freely express herself and enjoy the rewards of her artistry. Of all the characters in the play, Sam most embodies the aspirations, joys, frustrations, and tragedies of Black Americans of that time.
The story opens in the apartment of Guy, a fashion designer eking out a living from the club scene and weddings. Designed by Maggie Modig in teals and rust, the set immediately draws us into the fading Jazz Age singing, partying, and drinking bootleg liquor before noon. Guy is too pretty to live in squalor, and his apartment reflects the pride he has in himself and his design abilities. Portrayed by Cainan Asher Grier, Guy is funny, witty, warm—and ambitious. He optimistically sends letters to Josephine Baker offering to design her costumes, much to the derision of his flashy but skeptical cousin Angel. Angel (Jaqueline Youm) is a singer, a most-of-the-time companion to undeserving men, and occasional prostitute. Abandoned by her latest gangster lover, Angel turns to Guy for help and housing. Guy is protective of Angel and plans to take her with him to Paris when or if Josephine Baker finally comes through with a job for him. Youm is especially effective when singing the blues and she has a lovely voice.
Angel is eager to take control of her destiny. When opportunity presents itself in the form of Leland Cunningham (Mack Leamon), a young man from Alabama looking for solace after the death of his wife, Angel encourages his attentions and takes out “insurance” that he will stay with her. But Angel is not above throwing this plan out the window when a more exciting option comes her way. Leamon gives a convincing and understated performance in a challenging role that contrasts the sophistication and potential freedom of Harlem with Southern conservative values.
What does Guy and Angel’s story have to do with that of Sam and the neighbor across the hall, Delia? It is underdeveloped in the script and ultimately feels forced. Delia (sympathetically and sweetly played by Iyanu Bishop) is as ambitious as Angel, but she dedicates herself to taking correspondence courses, attending church services led by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and working to open a women’s health clinic in Harlem. Delia and Sam are drawn to each other and passionate about a new opportunity to work with Margaret Sanger on the development of the clinic. Theirs is an intriguing story line, but the tough messages about health and women’s control of their own bodies are dropped in suddenly amid the more glamorous and poignant dreams of Guy and Angel. It serves as more of a distraction rather than enriching the lives of the main characters.
Director Kevin Sockwell has guided his ensemble to a moving performance. He could have used the small stage at Silver Spring Stage better, working more on a diagonal to compensate for the venue’s limited sight lines and vexing downstage pole. But the actors all projected well. One can hear their lines even if seeing only the backs of their heads.
Linda Swann’s costumes effectively evoke the period, especially Angel’s sparkling black gown in the opening scene and the audition dress Angel borrows from Delia. Music composed and directed by Cainan Asher Grier beautifully underscores the production. Lighting by Andrew Harasty neatly conveys time of day and the different playing areas of the two apartments. Sound designer Aaron Skolnik allowed gunshots to accent but not derail the action and the music to enhance but not distract from the character’s stories.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 45 minutes with one 15-minute intermission.
Advisory: Includes discussions of reproductive rights, racism, homophobia, and economic hardship; the sound of gunshots and a depiction of gun violence.
“Blues for an Alabama Sky” runs through May 18, 2025 at Silver Spring Stage, 10145 Colesville Road, Four Corners, MD 20901 (Woodmoor Shopping Center), 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2 pm on Sundays. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call 301-593-6036 or go online.
