“‘Joe Turner’ was probably the most misunderstood August Wilson play when it first came out,” said Ruben Santiago-Hudson, a compatriot of Wilson’s who has produced, directed and acted in the late author’s plays. The multi-hyphenate, who was just nominated for his performance as Bynum Walker in the current revival of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” is referring to the 1911-set play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle. Santiago-Hudson continued, “People couldn’t understand the depth of the spirituality of what we call our ancestors and the need Black people have to have ancestors” that is depicted in Wilson’s prose.
“Joe Turner” is set in a Pittsburgh boarding house, owned by Seth Holly, played by Cedric the Entertainer. When a man named Herald and his daughter knock on the door looking for their missing wife and mother, questions of ties to one another and responsibility to one’s own soul arise.
In this revival, Santiago-Hudson, along with the full company, is delving into the full depth of that spirituality, which also means digging into the inherent musicality of Wilson’s language.
“When people use the term musicality, they think about singing first,” said actor Joshua Boone, who plays Herald Loomis in the production. “While you can sing some of these lines … I think at the crux of it is rhythm.”
“Undoubtedly, the rhythm of Wilson is so unique,” said Debbie Allen, who returns to Broadway as director of the production. “I’m reading books [about jazz] because I understand his influence from jazz. It has to do with layering [and] improvisation.”
