We’re thrilled to present the Chicago premiere of Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues by Artistic Affiliate Charles Smith, directed by Ensemble member Chuck Smith. Their 2024 Chicago premiere of The Reclamation of Madison Hemings earned critical acclaim and three (3) Joseph Jefferson Award nominations. When given the opportunity for these exceptional artists to collaborate again, our Ensemble unanimously agreed. We’re also excited for stalwart Ensemble members Dennis Cockrum and Dawn Bach’s return to our stage, celebrating our 40th anniversary this summer.
Set in 1993, life seems both archaic, and sadly, as if nothing changed in 30+ years. For many of us, we viscerally remember the horrors of Rodney King’s beating, L.A. race riots, and academics heralding multi-culturalism while others claimed exclusion and identity politics. Sound familiar?
Charles Smith’s protagonist Pompey is an aging vaudeville star amidst a world leaving him behind. Many comedians are known to struggle with mental health, but try combining that with a forced retirement, personal loss, and a failing memory. You understand his desperation to elicit one more laugh. His need to prove his existence meant something.
Doctors pinpoint loneliness as the main factor in poor physical health and premature death. Too much isolation can lead to depression and anxiety. We need social interaction, and yet, we crave our own space.
That’s the sweet spot of this production.
A tightly woven story that gives you a punchline and punch in the gut.
-Gwendolyn Whiteside