“Flyin’ West” reviewed by Jeffrey Leibham

[rating=4]Nicodemus, Kansas. Never heard of it? Well, thanks to the current American Blues Theater production you will have an opportunity to learn a great deal about it. The town has a fascinating history, founded in 1877 by African-Americans who fled the South during The Great Exodus and took advantage of the Homestead Act to purchase land to build farms upon and advance their own unique American dream. It is here, on a small farmhouse outside of the all-black town, that Pearl Cleage has set her wildly popular 1992 play “Flyin’ West.” Comprised of six captivating yet varied characters and under the direction of the venerable Chuck Smith, this slice of a forgotten era of Americana is not only worthwhile but beneficial.

During the autumn of 1898, Fannie Dove (Sydney Charles) and her adopted sister Sophie Washington (Tiffany Oglesby) are preparing for the arrival of their youngest sister, Minnie (Tiffany Renee Johnson). The three women have not been together since Fannie and Sophie relocated to Nicodemus from their native Memphis, TN and become successful agronomists who own quite a large parcel of land. Minnie has recently married Frank Charles (Wardell Julius Clark), an aspiring poet raised in New Orleans, and she and her newly-wedded husband are looking forward to some relaxing time in Nicodemus, away from the busy streets and lavish lifestyles they enjoy in London. Staying with the sisters is the grandmotherly Miss Leah (Joslyn Jones), a former slave who owns a farm nearby. Also stopping in periodically to make sure that everything is in order is neighbor Wil Parish (Henri Watkins), who is happy to have any excuse to be able to see Fannie, who he is sweetly but furtively courting. Through all of these engaging personalities we learn about the hardships and challenges of developing farmland with a lack of resources (horses, plows, wagons, etc.) ; wind storms and blizzards and droughts which endangered your crops;  the pain of having all ten of the children that you gave birth to while in bondage taken away from you before you can even hold one of them in your arms; even the covert but brutal act of domestic violence. But, in spite of all of that misery, these souls rejoice in the fact that what they possess is truly theirs alone and where they are now, living in a new frontier, is so many miles away from where they came from that it seems like the South is on the complete opposite side of the earth.

Grant Sabin has designed a tidy and clean set, consisting of a wooden slat house filled with warm antiques and rustic furnishings, imbued with fine details, including a gorgeous quilt upon the bed. Lily Walls’ costumes are equally well-done. The lighting design by Jared Gooding moves from the blazing heat of the sunshine in a meadow picking flowers with your sweetheart to the luster of the pink, purple and orange hues of a Great Plains sunset.

While all of the acting is strong in this production of “Flyin’ West” there are two performances which really connect. Watkins is sensational as Wil Parish, played with so much inherent goodness and genuine kindness that the light that emanates from him is as bright as the Kansas sun. Jones as the plucky Miss Leah will have you smirking at her snappy delivery of some the script’s most humorous material at one point and then plummet to the deepest grief when recounting her mournful past the next. Her lengthy monologue in Act Two, in which she describes baking the ideal apple pie, is masterful. With just the right amount of stage business and perfect modulation, she nails the scene. Totally controlling the energy of the show and receiving a rousing round of applause at the end of the scene. These two veterans show their younger counterparts just how it’s done.

“Flyin’ West” runs through November 3, 2018 at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago

Thursdays                           7:30 PM

Fridays                                  7:30 PM

Saturdays                            3:00 PM and 7:30 PM (except November 3)

Sundays                               2:30 PM

Towns Halls:                       Free post-show discussions are offered every Sunday

Box Office:                          Buy online at AmericanBluesTheater.com or by calling 773-654-3103

Ticket Prices:                      $19 to $39

“Flyin’ West” is recommended for ages 12 and older.

Running time is 2 hours with one intermission.

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