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| Seven Guitars |
There is an allure about a well-constructed conversation that ebbs and flows with peaceful laughter, dramatic conflict, silence, and even loud revelations. Few understood this technique better than August Wilson, whose Seven Guitars takes the story of a musician on the verge of a second chance and forces him to contemplate what's truly important. The cast and crew at the Long Beach Playhouse bring this three-hour story to life with such a charismatic fervor that one will forget that every last conversation takes place in a backyard with people sitting around while playing cards and listening to the Joe Lewis fight on the radio. It's a unique drama that is as touching as it is humorous and thought-provoking. With a great cast and an excellent script, it's a fun evening of exploring the cultural identity of African Americans in the late-1940's in Pittsburgh, PA. It's unconventional and messy, but it definitely leaves plenty to think about.
The story is a tale of regret, specifically when it comes to Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton (Rayshawn Chism). As a black musician in the 1940's, there is a certain bitterness that comes with the mistakes that he has made, especially when it comes to recording a hit record in Chicago, IL. Despite the request of his bandmates, he didn't release it as a single that would've given him money. He could've been respected, but instead has to settle for radio play that doesn't pay anything but publicity. His story progresses alongside his bandmates (the band in "The Schoolboy Barton Band"), whose journey into Chicago came with petty arrests and various conflicts familiar to the time. They too share a bitterness, but towards a system that marginalizes them. While Floyd is eager for a paycheck, his bandmates simply don't want to be put into danger again, especially when the band name doesn't give them any credit for the work.
All seven of the actors in the show have conflicts that deal with bitterness and regret. It's hard not to when the opening scene features Canewell (Jay Reed) discussing a recently deceased relative. It's the wraparound device that grounds the story and begins the series of metaphors of which the show will explore. The bible is constantly referenced, even suggesting that Exodus says that only around 14,000 are going to heaven. With this in mind, who among the Seven Guitars cast is morally superior to be among the few thousand? As the story goes, temptation overwhelms and the arguments grow loud. Past mistakes come to haunt characters and soon the simple idea of making a few bucks becomes complicated. Floyd is a man with a seedy past, so to simply up and leave isn't so easy in the eyes of his doubting wife Vera (Latonya Kitchen).
Despite this dark premise, Wilson has populated the show with something even more authentic. It's a story whose antagonism is more playful, with characters like Louise (Ebonie Marie) managing to poke fun at Floyd's weight while espousing advice to Vera. Floyd's bandmates, Canewell and Red Carter (Gilbert Roy DeLeon), are younger and more flirtatious, making their screen time just as much about conflict as it is wooing the ladies into dancing and having a good time. The show's strength in setting the show entirely in a communal yard is that it allows these characters to just be human. They get to have fun by playing cards and bothering the gardener Hedley (William Warren) with semantic sayings. As much as the show has deeper themes on its mind, it's these quiet moments where characters laugh that give the show life. It's in putting aside the drama and just enjoying each other's company that audiences understand the core of these characters. Sure, there's outbursts of hostility, but they're in between brighter moments, including monologues from the eccentric Hedley, whose character is among the most engaging in the show thanks to Warren's commitment to an almost rhythmic style of approaching his prose.
The cast as a whole works well off of each other. Chism's ability to be a lovable musician helps his character to seem more compelling, even as he discusses foolish things like carrying pistols in front of police. The audience knows how silly this naive way of thinking is, and it helps to make the confidence seem multidimensional along with his friendly demeanor. The big standout is Marie as Louise, who gets a lot of the funniest lines as she tries to barter cigarettes for her homemade food. While being the comedic relief, she's also one of the most familiar of the characters, if just because she is the best at seeing the sense in others and calling them out on their artifice. Similarly, Hedley is one of Wilson's best characters, and Warren helps to show the evolution of the character between the first and second act into something much more strange. As much as he comes across as aloof in the first half, the divide between his African roots and Floyd's American drive to be on level with the white man becomes clearer in the second half and better explains deeper metaphors that may come across as odd for those expecting a more conventional show in line with Fences.
By the end, Seven Guitars works best as a chance to sit back and enjoy the lives of these characters, whose conflicts are as much driven by society as their own egos. Wilson had a gift for pointing out the nuances of African American lives, and this captures it in ways that get to the emotional core of the experience. It hurts to see Floyd suffer. In fact, it hurts to see that pain ride through everyone around him, whether he caused it or not. Still, the cast presents the story with such a compelling power that the story never drags. It may grow silent for long stretches, but it's only to highlight the deeper tensions that can't be expressed in words. It's an entertaining show and one that shows the power of Wilson in action. While some may find the ending shocking, it's one that's worth sitting and thinking about, especially as a grander metaphor for life and death, African and American, rich and poor, happiness and depression. There's so much to think about that some of it may be easy to miss. Still, it's quite a ride while it lasts.
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