Curtain Call: Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Joe Turner's Come and Gone 10/10

On Sunday me and my lady were invited by my best friend to go see this play over at A Noise Within. My lady had never been to this location and I had been a few other times I think just for these August Wilson shows. This was by far my favorite one in terms of acting, music, sound design, humor, intensity, and feelings during and after the show. I have already discussed how I felt after seeing The Piano Lesson and some of the people that were in that were in this. I kept saying I am gonna be a snob because at this point I have seen shows with the same people as well as director. The director of this did that amazing Twilight: Los Angeles show.

This is set in the early 1900's at a boardinghouse run by Seth and his wife Bertha. People come and go while a few stay for years at a time paying $2 a week for lunch and dinner as well as a room. Damn, that sounds like such a good deal. The weird spiritual aspect is brought by Bynum (because now I know a variation of this guy is in every show) using pigeon blood for rituals. There is also Jeremy who was recently arrested for being drunk in public (saw him in Topdog/Underdog). This guy Rutherford shows up and he is known as a people finder. He also has Seth make him some dustpans. Bynum explains to him about a “shiny man” who told him the secret of life and how he has been searching for him once again. Rutherford is like “Sure...let you know if I see him.” Next Harold Loomis and his daughter Zonia show up.

This man is intense as hell. Seth rants about this man so much (as well as anything else he sets his eyes on but is funny). Loomis says he is looking for his wife but Seth says he looks mean and doesn't want him finding her. This lady Mattie shows up because her husband has left her and she wants him by and asks Bynum to use some of his magic to do so. Jeremy sees her and falls for her and convinces her to stay with him in the house so neither of them are lonely. She agrees. This woman just want some love. Loomis' daughter Zonia hangs outside with this little boy who runs when Loomis shows up. Seth thinks he may know who Loomis' wife is but doesn't want to tell Loomis so. Rutherford shows up again and Loomis pays him to find her for him.

Molly Cuningham appears and she is a wicked city woman. She doesn't plan on staying for long. Jeremy falls for her instantly. Everyone (minus Loomis) get together and start dancing juba and laughing and having a great time until Loomis shows up and tells them to stop. He starts talking in tongues as Bynum guides him through what he is seeing. The next day Seth tells Loomis that he wants him to leave but he has paid for the rest of the week so he's staying until then. Molly and Mattie talk about their upbringing which causes Molly to become emotional saying she will always be strong and not like her father. Jeremy shows up saying he quit his job which Seth chastises him for. Molly explains how he can get some money and Jeremy is down for it with her conditions. They then run off together as Molly says she will go anywhere but South.

While Seth and Bynum are playing dominoes Bynum starts singing this Joe Turner song. Loomis, who is eating at the table nearby, gets mad and tells him to stop. Loomis tells the story of how he was taken away by Joe Turner and when he returned years later his wife was gone and left his daughter with her grandmother. Later Loomis and Mattie are alone and he says he has noticed her watching him. He goes to touch her face and can't saying he had forgotten how to touch. Later Loomis is getting set to leave when Rutherford shows up with Loomis' wife, Martha. She says she waited for him but could not any longer. Martha says she had Bynum put one of his binding spells on her so she would eventually find her daughter. Loomis loses it and pulls a knife out to stab himself which his does across his chest. He leaves his daughter with Martha and as he leaves Bynum tells him his is shining like new money.

This show was over two hours long but did not feel like it. The set was simple as the others and fits perfectly for the show. We had good seats but there's really not any bad seats the way this theater is made. Plenty of parking right by for free and crazy views of mountains in the distance. I had no idea we were seeing it on the last night which Cam says she may start doing. We have seen some stuff the first couple days and it can be shaky with stuff. This was great and I would love to see it again.

Herald Loomis - Kai A. Ealy

Bertha - Veralyn Jones

Seth - Alex Morris

Bynum - Gerald C. Rivers

Jeremy - Brandon Gill

Molly Cuningham - Nija Okoro

Martha Pentecost - Tori Danner

Mattie Campbell - Briana James

Rutherford Selig - Bert Emmett

Zonia - Jessica Williams

Reuben - Jared Bennett

Click here for previous Curtain Call.