"Joe Turner is a strong, exciting play"

BY Ann Bennett
Theater Writer

There’s no doubt that a lot of the best theater that’s happening around here is occurring at UC Santa Cruz - often unheralded and little known to those of us outside of the campus proximity. The latest is another of those fine productions that you almost have to hunt for - an outstanding interpretation of a strong and exciting play.

"Joe Turner’s Come and Gone" is being presented by the African-American Theater Arts Troupe and sponsored by the UCSC Theater Arts board and a number of other supporting organizations. The play is a dramatic example of how theater can bring history alive and make it vibrant and compelling without losing its ability to entertain and delight its audience.

"Joe turner," written in 1978 by August Wilson, takes place in 1911 in Pittsburgh, Penn. The plot pulses around the central characters, a couple who amazingly true to its time, presenting its characters with unabashed honesty and no hint of apology. The impact is often unsettling.

Director Don Williams has a fine insight into both the people and the time, and a fine cast to back up his vision. Williams develops accents with remarkable attention, and clearly understands the importance of his characters’ physical stance. More importantly, he is able to bring these qualities to the stage without any hint of condescension or awkwardness. His cast obviously appreciates the time frame they are working in, and they handle it very well.

The three men who dominate the stage provide dynamic and impressive interpretations of their roles. Eric Jackson is warm yet ambivalent as Seth Holly, owner of the boarding house, able to handle his complex role with appropriate humility and understated pride.

Joshua Bee Graham is a natural for the charming and important part of Bynum Walker - confident, enormously entertaining and quit capable of projecting the depth of his character without compromise. James Wellington Porter is outstanding as Joe Turner’s victim; he moves on the stage with smoldering rage and barely suppressed anger, and develops his character with impeccable care. His fine performance heightens the contrast he must present as the play unfolds.

Lauren Smith is warm and comfortable as Bertha Holly, her strength cloaked in an appropriately subservient manner, and Ed Rosser is gruffly comfortable in the role of tinker and part-time finder of lost persons.

The women’s roles, in keeping with the time, are less obviously strong - but that is part of the illusion. Tsadae Neway does a fine job as the subtly clever Mattie - she is both elegantly confident and demurely dependent, and manages to portray this ambivalence well. Fitima Morris, on the other hand, gives a similar persona a slightly different twist, and her development of Molly is robust and believable.

Armond Edward Dorsey does an outstanding job as Reuben, a role that could have been lost to caricature but for Dorsey’s competent acting, and Christy Humphry plays the young Zonia with a perfect demeanor of obedience, her fearfulness and anxiety lightened in a few well-presented scenes of captured childhood.

Blake Riggs is alternately smooth and nicely edgy as Jeremy, and Jennifer Nicole Vylasek is slightly anti-climatic as the long-awaited Martha.

Set design by Michael Palumbo is excellent, a warm and comfortable replication of the period with fine attention to detail, and the early 20^th century costumes by Eli Helmer are totally appropriate.

"Joe Turner" is an insightful and yet thoroughly entertaining play. The historical time-frame is provocative but not demanding, and the story and characters develop with warmth and compassion. The use of mysticism and spiritually enhance the drama, and the result is an intriguing and fascinating look at a rarely portrayed time. Oh - and Joe Turner? You should be able to figure out who he is by the end of the play.

"Joe Turner’s Come and Gone" will be presented tomorrow and Saturday at the Louden Nelson Community Center, and Feb. 25 and 26 at Cabrillo College. Performances are at 8p.m. For ticket information phone 459-3409