Regional Reviews: Florida - West Coast Seven Guitars Before this ongoing endeavor, I had only seen three of the plays in unrelated productions (Ma Rainey, Fences and Gem of the Ocean). It is my opinion that several of the plays are of exceptional quality and stand well on their own, while others are not quite as universal, but draw power from being part of a huge dramatic tapestry. I think an ideal way to experience these plays might be to see them in historical order, over a not too drawn out time frame. Seven Guitars falls in the later category, it is hard for audiences to comprehend exactly what is going on in the first act, although it pulls together dramatically in the second. I overheard many audience members expressing bewilderment at the beginning of the intermission. I don't this was the fault of the production. Many of Wilson's plays are ensemble pieces, and this one is very much so. Each of the seven actors in the company seem to become part of a small community of friends and associates with a shared history. The exceptional directing by Bob Devin Jones brings out the relationships with a very sharp eye for small details, such as the physicality of the movements of the women, different with each other than with the men folk. A short scene at the beginning of the second act featuring the three women is very telling: I was able to detect strong differences in the relationship of two women who are close friends and confidants as opposed to the third woman, a niece of one of them who had only recently arrived. The performances from the men are equally vivid. I wonder how much of this comes from several years of working together on these productions. All of the actors give rich portrayals of these characters, especially Joshua Elijah Reese as Floyd and Ambe Williams as Vera at the dramatic center of the play. The setting, the backyard of a multi-family home in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, 1948, is brilliantly realized by Frank Chavez. One can feel the poverty in the air and see the wear and tear on steps, doors and fences, all part of the emotional landscape. Costumes by Saidah Ben Judah catch the post-war era stylings. All of the other technical elements serve the production well. American Stage Theater Company presents August Wilson's Seven Guitars through February 26, 2012, at the Raymond James Theatre, 163 3rd Street North in St. Petersburg. For ticket and performance information, visit americanstage.org. Cast
Direction: Bob Devin Jones
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