By Mackenzie Pittman
This October, Sinclair Community College Theater Department produced the play “Blues for an Alabama Sky” by Pearl Cleage. Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to go see it with my dad and my sister, Michaela Pittman.
The play follows the lives of five African-Americans living in Harlem, New York during the Harlem Renaissance and a time of mass political controversy. The main character, Angel, faces challenges at every turn. She loses her job and her boyfriend on the same night. While struggling to find a job during the Depression, she stays with her cousin Guy, who is a costume designer hoping to make it big in Paris working for Josephine Baker. Their neighbor is a social worker, Delia, who’s trying to start a family planning clinic in their city. Lastly, there’s Sam, who’s a doctor who works in Harlem delivering babies. Angel meets Leland, a man from Alabama who holds extreme conservative views and opinions that threaten Angel and her friends. All five of them are soon to face a multitude of problems including economic hardship, the struggle for women’s rights, and homophobia.
“Blues for an Alabama sky” is an eye-opening play with important underlying themes. Pearl Cleage uses the script to create a large bustling atmosphere, despite only a total of five actors on the stage. If you’re looking for an entertaining and heart-stopping story, go see “Blues for an Alabama Sky.”
See Sinclair’s other productions here:
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