Playwright: James Baldwin
At: Goodman Theater, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago Tickets: $29-$45
Phone: 312-443-3800
Runs through: April 28
by Rick Reed
James Baldwin is one of our most gifted novelists, making his mark on contemporary American fiction with such modern-day classics as Go Tell It on the Mountain and Another Country. His gay-themed opus, Giovanni's Room, is recognized as an integral part of the canon of American gay-themed literature.
As a playwright, Baldwin's output is sparse, and the Goodman Theater has wisely decided to revive Baldwin's first work as a playwright, The Amen Corner. Although the play doesn't have the dramatic intensity of Baldwin's fiction, it does strike a resonant chord for its sharply etched characterizations, its heartfelt conflict, and its insight into the human condition.
The story revolves around Sister Margaret, the matriarchal leader of her small church and even smaller family, which consists of her young son David and older sister Odessa. Margaret was left by her hard-drinking, jazz-loving husband a decade ago and she compensated for the loss by throwing herself into preaching the word of the Lord and seeing to it that her son David did not follow in his father's footsteps. The Amen Corner begins at the point where Margaret's intentions, and her world, begin to crumble: David is showing an interest in non-secular music and is keeping odd hours away from home; the church is beginning to demonstrate signs of dissatisfaction with Sister Margaret's leadership. The rumbling against Sister Margaret increases when her long-estranged husband, Luke, returns, dying from tuberculosis, and demanding to be taken in by the only woman he ever loved. The Amen Corner, then, is suitably cloaked in real conflict and lays the groundwork for a soulful meditation on religion, familial love, and how these two things can come in conflict with one another.
Goodman's production, led by director Chuck Smith, has bottomless soul and is as heartfelt a piece of theater as you might want to see. Thanks to a uniformly excellent ensemble, The Amen Corner brings its drama, its themes, and its conflict to credible and spellbinding life. In particular, Pat Bowie, as Sister Margaret, plays upon our emotions and sympathies, creating a woman who has been wounded by loss and is desperately seeking to maintain her hold on the world, even though it's increasingly in upheaval. Jacqueline Williams, Nikkieli DeMone, and Philip Edward VanLear, all turn in exemplary performances as Margaret's sister, son, and estranged husband. The set design, by Felix E. Cochren, is a gorgeous fusion of practicality and art. Its two-tiered structure, bringing to life Sister Margaret's home and church, also stands as a symbol of the conflict between love and faith. And then, there's the music! The gospel hymns used in the production ( about a dozen ) are rousing and performed with perfection and real emotion.
The Goodman Theater has scored on every level with The Amen Corner: impressive direction, powerful performances, a challenging and thought-provoking script, superior production values, and some of the best gospel music you'll hear outside a real church. Don't miss it.
