Gee's Bend
Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder's uneven drama follows three generations of Pettway women. They live in an all-black, rural community in Alabama (now famous for their quilts). While some remain outside of history, Sadie jumps in. She protests in 1965 and loses almost everything as a result. At the North Coast Rep., Monique Gaffney's Sadie returns home from the March to Selma's "Bloody Sunday," beaten and near blinded by tear gas. Gaffney is unforgettable as she expresses loss of innocence, the pain of separation, and the glimmer of a resolve never to let this happen again. Nothing else in Gee's Bend comes close to this scene. The play's epic sweep - from 1939 to 2002 - thins it out (the script feels padded, in fact, from 90 minutes to two acts, with much of the second a long denouement). Director Yvette Freeman uses her considerable skills to serve the story. Though little happens for long stretches, the movement is seamless. Gaffney's performance, and Licia Shearer's as the stay-at-home Neila, are well worth seeing.
Worth a try.
When
Ongoing until Sunday, November 7, 2010
Hours
| Sundays, 2pm & 7pm |
| Wednesdays, 7pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 2pm & 8pm |