SAILING TO THE PAST ON THE ‘GEM OF THE OCEAN’

REVIEW: GEM OF THE OCEAN

BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO

There’s something fascinating about plays that are set in the ‘olden days’; simpler times, when people just sat around talking to one another face to face. Watching one of these works is like finding a secret door that takes us back in time, if only for the duration of the play. August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean is one of those plays. It’s a play that’s chock full of old-world charm and potent storytelling—once it begins you can’t help but bask in its nostalgic beauty. This fall A Noise Within in Pasadena mounts a production that is a testament to the power of classic theatre and its ability to transcend time and spark our shared humanity.  

Gem of the Ocean is part of Wilson’s ten play chronicle entitled The Pittsburgh Cycle spanning from the 1900s to 1990s. All the plays in this cycle serve to shed light on the African American experience in the 20^thcentury. Accordingly, Gem takes us to 1904 in the wake of emancipation at 1839 Wylie Avenue in the Hill District where Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old “soul cleanser” resides. We meet a man, Citizen Barlow, who seeks the help of Aunt Ester to cleanse his soul so that he may find redemption from his sins. 

The title Gem of the Ocean refers to a mythical slave ship that Aunt Ester conjures for Citizen Barlow so that he may travel to the City of Bones to ask for his redemption. The summoning of this ship on stage is the most thrilling scene in the whole play. This African ritual is brought to life with drums, rain sticks, wind whistles, singing, and chanting—remarkable stagecraft. What is also interesting about the play’s title is that it’s found in the title for the United States Civil War era Patriotic song, “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean”, ‘Columbia’ in this context being a common poetic nickname for the USA. Do with this fact as you will.

Director Gregg T. Daniel uses all theatrical devices at his disposal extract all the layers of Wilson’s text and create the sense of journey both physical and metaphysical. The set design by designer Stephanie Kerley Schwartz artfully blends Aunt Ester’s house in the Hill District with the voyage to the City of Bones. The most striking feature is the interior walls of Ester’s home that are painted to resemble a seascape—they seem to ebb and flow as the lights shift. What is also interesting is that both the plays pacing and the delivery of monologues, in comforting Southern accents, contribute to a calm oceanic billowing on some subconscious level. Add to this ocean sounds that come in and out throughout the play, and it’s often so lulling that you may find yourself in a peaceful slumber, not out of boredom, but sheer atmosphere.

Veralyn Jones as Aunt Ester is a generous actress; she knows when it’s her time to shine. And shine she does—every one of Wilson’s poetic monologues are delivered with sensitive precision; the sage messages within are clear and compelling. Carolyn Ratteray performance as Black Mary is refreshingly honest. Ratteray draws out so much depth from this seemingly simple housekeeper role, she traces a character arc that’s thoroughly satisfying. Chuma Gault as Cesar Wilks, the ruthless policeman, makes his position clear from his first entrance. Mr. Gault embodies this role with conviction so strong that every time he’s on stage he draws out fear and hostility from the audience. 

Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean takes place a hundred years ago, yet upon watching the play we come to find out how much history does repeat itself. Yes, the play may take us back in time to fire stoves and horse drawn wagons, but once the curtain falls, we soon discover that the fears and struggles of yesterday still exist today. 

TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION 

DATES: September 22 – November 16, 2019

TICKETS: 

Buy Online: www.anoisewithin.org

Buy Via Phone: 626-356-3121

Purchase at Box Office: 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107

Regular Prices: Single tickets from $25, Student Rush with ID an hour before performance $20.