reviews - SEVEN GUITARS - Black Theatre Troupe

Alexis Green, and Rapheal Hamilton
photo by Laura Durant

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through November 12th.

".The possibility of fame and fortune for a talented, impulsive young man and the impact his poor judgement has on a group of African-American residents in 1940s Pittsburgh is the driving theme of Seven Guitars, one of August Wilson's ten Century Cycle plays. While this play may not have as impactful a payoff as some of Wilson's other dramas, Black Theatre Troupe's production, with one of the best ensemble casts I've seen in the Valley, proves especially vibrant....The story follows singer Floyd Barton who has just returned to his girlfriend Vera's Hill District apartment after being incarcerated for 90 days. The song he recorded before he was sent to the workhouse has become a big hit on the radio and Floyd has been asked by the record company to return to Chicago to record some follow-up songs. Floyd attempts to get his guitar out of hock and convince his friends and fellow musicians Canewell and Red Carter, as well as Vera, to go to Chicago with him. ...Wilson has written a rich play with in-depth characters and an intriguing plot. Under David Hemphill's insightful direction, there isn't a single weak link in this cast...As Floyd, Rapheal Hamilton skillfully captures the determination and drive of this talented man whose impulsiveness and bad judgement are as strong as his good intentions...as the quiet, soft-spoken, smart and long-suffering Vera, Alexis Green is expertly adept in conveying both the lasting effect of the pain Floyd caused her in the past and the hope she has that this man she loves actually loves her in return. Mike Traylor is superb as Hedley...Ríco Burton is full of warmth as the sweet, all-knowing, sensible and practical Louise. Calvin J. Worthen and Cornelius Johnson, as Floyd's friends Canewell and Red Carter, respectively, and Dzifa Kwawu as Louise's niece Ruby round out the cast with all three delivering heartfelt, serious and rich performances. Hemphill's thoughtful staging brings many of the important moments close to the audience, which provides an intimacy to the proceedings. ...Seven Guitars is a play about forgiveness, second chances, and what can go wrong when the drive for success outweighs common sense. With a cast who deliver constant and rich portrayals and precise direction, Black Theatre Troupe's production resonates with a dramatic richness. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"...Set in the late ’40s, “Seven Guitars”...focuses on Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton, a blues singer with a hit record and a recent conviction for “vagrancy”...he returns to Pittsburgh and his once-spurned lover with news that he has an offer for a recording contract. He sees it as his last, best chance to make amends for past mistakes and claim a slice of the American dream....what makes Wilson great is his singular poetic voice — an elevated style that celebrates the black vernacular — and his psychologically complex characters....“Seven Guitars,” with its spotlight on the music business and its flawed, philandering hero, echoes both “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Fences”...but doesn’t quite pack the same dramatic punch. ...directed by longtime company leader David Hemphill, is still compelling for its charismatic and nuanced performances. Rapheal Hamilton expertly captures Floyd’s braggadocio and his insecurities, while Alexis Green is equal parts tough and fragile as his (once and future?) girlfriend, Vera.... " - Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)