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The late August Wilson (1945-2005) lived long enough to complete his 10-play cycle covering every decade of the 20th century, thus achieving some sense of completion to his chronicle of African American dramatic history. Wilson didn't write the plays in chronological order, and his excursion into the earliest time frame (1900-09) wasn't completed until 2003, with its subsequent Broadway staging gaining numerous Tony nominations. As in most of the cycle, this installment is set in Pittsburgh's Hill District, where a 285-year-old medium named Aunt Ester channels the history of her race and performs a séance that cleanses a young man of his guilt. The Bible, voodoo and echoes of the Civil War inform Wilson's broad-canvassed tale, which is unabashedly influenced by the magic realism of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. Gem of the Ocean has recently received a spate of regional stagings, and this Nashville premiere is the inaugural production in Amun Ra Theatre’s first full season in its newly renovated performing space at 2508 Clifton Ave., the outgrowth of an impressive community effort. Artistic director Jeff Obafemi Carr directs and co-stars, and his cast of seven includes several veteran performers.
Thursdays-Sundays. Starts: Feb. 5. Continues through March 1, 2009
Thursdays-Sundays. Starts: Feb. 5. Continues through March 1, 2009
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