Playwright: Pearl Cleage . At: Eclipse Theatre Company at Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln. Phone: 773-404-7336; $20-$25. Runs through: July 26. A Song for Coretta. Photo by Scott Cooper
There's a lot to admire in Pearl Cleage's drama A Song for Coretta. It sets out to be an important examination of the state of African-American women following the 2006 passing of Coretta Scott King, wife of slain civil-rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But the play also has a number of dramaturgical missteps. Eclipse Theatre Company's Chicago premiere of A Song for Coretta has a few solid performances under director Sarah Moeller's guidance, but the clumsy script undercuts Cleage's overall work.
Cleage's inspiration was the news coverage of people who lined up around Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church ( often in the pouring rain ) to see Ms. King lying in state. A Song for Coretta focuses on five demographically diverse African-American women, each with personal reasons why they're paying last respects to Ms. King.
Things start out happily as Spelman College journalism student Zora ( Niccole Thurman, not quite overcoming her plot-device character ) hits the interview jackpot with Helen Brown ( TayLar, doing a fine job playing older ) . Helen met Ms. King as a child during the 1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott, and her tale is one of fortitude and pride at how peaceful protests helped dismantle segregation.
Then Cleage introduces two other characters to point out how succeeding generations missed out on the Civil Rights movement's overwhelming sense of drive and community. You know you're in for a few sparks as soon as we meet the down-on-her-luck New Orleans artist Mona Lisa ( Kelly Owens, having fun being simultaneously wise, needy and spacey ) and all-attitude teenager Keisha ( a hilarious Kristy Johnson, who revels in her ghetto-fabulous stereotypes ) .
There's an instant clash with Helen as Keisha litters, mistreats her faux infant and reveals that she's soon to become an unwed mother again. More drama arrives with Gwen ( an OK Ebony Wimbs ) , a soldier on leave from the Iraq War.
Cleage's examination of generational and class differences is insightful, but clumsily delivered. Most egregious are the tales of woe delivered by Hurricane Katrina survivor Mona Lisa and emotionally battle-scarred Gwen.
Cleage has the characters spout their stories tag-team style. It could have been Cleage's attempt to show how African-American women are still ignored or used by an uncaring U.S. government, but the technique just comes off as contrived and melodramatic.
Also, Helen says some really hurtful words toward Keisha—the kind of thing that would forge a lifelong grudge. So to see all five of the women happily embrace as friends at the end feel disingenuous.
The issues Cleage brings up in A Song for Coretta are very worthy, but her delivery methods are sometimes slipshod. Eclipse's strong production can't overcome these writing flaws, but makes a strong go at it otherwise.