Flyin’ West
In 1879 Benjamin Singleton led over 40,000 black sharecroppers to a new
life in Kansas. After the Civil War, many African-Americans had left the South
intending to assert their rights under the 1860 Homestead Act and settle
all-black towns. Sadly, many States later implemented what became known as
discriminatory ‘Jim Crow’ laws which undermined these efforts and, by the turn
of the 20th century, many settlements had foundered.
Pearl Cleage’s
riveting play follows the fortunes of one such pioneer group based in Nicodemus, Kansas in 1898. In the hands of this clearly gifted playwright and a simply stunning ensemble, the subject becomes the source of a deeply poignant drama, full of pathos and humour, that runs the gamut of emotions.
Sophie, Fannie and Miss Leah occupy a household, while the youngest daughter of
the family, Minnie, resides abroad with her poet husband Frank. Constantly
clashing with the matriarch Miss Leah, Sophie is a deceptively tough, single-minded woman, determined to forge black independence, and map out a strong
identity for Nicodemus. Fannie is a gentler soul tentatively courted by
kindly neighbour Will. When Minnie and Frank return home, their visit proves
a dramatic catalyst for change as Frank’s unscrupulous approach to land
acquisition – and his brutal treatment of his wife – provokes conflict within
the family.
Amongst the always engaging proceedings, there’s a wonderful, darkly comic scene subverting the traditional ideal of apple pie as the epitome of wholesome American goodness that is an incisive example of hitting just the right note at the right time,
leavening the sadness with flair and understated wit.
Judy Stedham‘s set initially seems over-cluttered for the small confines of
this theatre, but it soon comes into its own, atmospherically suggesting the
confined conditions inhabited by these pioneer folk. The beauty of the
production, directed by Auriol Smith, lies in the authentic sense of
intimacy between the cast of six; you feel that you’re watching a
genuine family here, a family in which the members are struggling to define themselves individually, clashing
vociferously yet ultimately anchored by mutual affection and respect.
Both
thought-provoking and emotionally satisfying, Flyin’ West is drama of the highest
calibre.
Amanda Hodges
