Review: Trinity Rep's 'Blues for an Alabama Sky' Seems Tailor-Made for This Moment

"Blues for an Alabama Sky" by African American playwright Pearl Cleage (Playwright in Residence at Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia) tackles several themes at once: racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and feminism. It may seem multi-layered, and it certainly is, but it is also a seamless and relevant piece that peels back those layers, leaving its heart intact but exposing troubled times that seem vaguely familiar to our modern world.

In the 1930s, two women are trying to make a future for themselves. Angel (Cloteal L. Horne) is a blues singer whose latest gig has ended because her Italian boyfriend has gotten married, leaving her single and homeless. Delia (Meghan Dilworth) is an activist whose dream is to bring health care and family planning services to poor Black women in her area, with the help of a minister at her church.

They couldn't be more different: Angel is a fighter who rails against what society would have her accomplish, and Delia, despite her lofty goals, is surprisingly sweet and innocent.

The girls clash during the Harlem Renaissance, a period of African American artistic expression that saw many migrating to the North from Southern cities during the late 1910s to the 1930s. The period was highlighted in New York by explorations in cultural relevance through art, music, theatre, and writing.

Angel, finding herself without a place to stay, leans on Guy (Taavon Gamble), a queer costume designer whose ultimate goal is to work for Josephine Baker in Paris. After her unceremonious dumping from the Italian boyfriend's club, Guy and a stranger from the South, Leland (Quinn West), help her back to Guy's, where she sleeps off her tumultuous night. Sam Thomas (Dereks Thomas), a friend and local doctor, agrees to help Delia with her goal, winning more than just her admiration.

Newcomer Dilworth (Trinity debut) gives us a sweet and seemingly naive lady whose exterior hides a lonely soul. She is excellent. West, a second year student at Brown/Trinity's MFA acting program, also brings a solid performance as the seemingly sweet and dashing Southern gentleman who is hiding more than just the pain of loss.

Gamble, who has been seen in many Trinity productions, including "The Inheritance" and "Sweeney Todd," is pitch-perfect as Guy; he struts around Harlem giving attitude and confidence, never backing down from a fight. Horne was last seen on this stage in "Black Odyssey," but she commands this stage in a powerhouse performance as Angel.

And Thomas ("Becky Nurse of Salem," "Gem of the Ocean") brings us a gentle but loyal man who would do anything for his friends, no matter who they represent.

Cleage gives us real-life, relatable characters that we probably know in our own lives; her dialogue is frank and fresh, and highlighted by period music, costumes, and settings that show us how far we've come, only to be knocked back to a checkered and intolerant past.

Trinity Rep company member Jackie Davis makes her directorial debut with a show that seems tailor-made for 2025's cultural and political landscape. Davis makes a triumphant first show as director, and it's Cleage's words, along with her five solid casting choices, that make this production sing.

Trinity knows how to bring these stories to life. You'll not be disappointed – only entertained, and left with much to think about.

"Blues for an Alabama Sky" is running through June 29 at Trinity Repertory Company 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903. For information or tickets, call 401-351-4242 or visit www.trinityrep.com.