Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Huntington Theatre Company

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"A PASSIONATE AND INSIGHTFUL NEW PRODUCTION! Yvette Freeman brings down the house, and Jason Bowen's volcanic performance is spellbinding." -The Boston Globe

Legendary 1920s blues singer Ma Rainey and her musicians gather in a run-down Chicago studio to record new sides of old favorites when generational and racial tensions suddenly explode. The Huntington completes Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner August Wilson's Century Cycle with this searing drama, Wilson's first Broadway hit.

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Headshots

Headshots for the cast and creative team of the Huntington's production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Production Photos

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Articles

Completing the century cycle

August Wilson had a unique relationship with the Huntington, as eight of his plays were produced here before they went on to New York (7 to Broadway, and one Off Broadway). Our audiences and staff alike have wonderful memories of encounters with Mr. Wilson, and he felt a special connection with the theatre as well.

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The Music of Ma Rainey

Ma Rainey, like the blues, was a product of the late 19th century South that reached full flower in the early 20th century. Born Gertrude Pridgett on April 26, 1886 in Columbus, Georgia, she began performing around age 14 in the local talent show and at church.

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Press Reviews

Jump to: Audience Buzz | Features

"A PASSIONATE AND INSIGHTFUL NEW PRODUCTION! MA RAINEY'S IS SOMETHING SPECIAL! Yvette Freeman brings down the house, and Jason Bowen's volcanic performance is spellbinding." -The Boston Globe

"A FANTASTIC PRODUCTION!" -Jared Bowen, WGBH

"MAGNIFICENT! A MUST-SEE THEATRICAL EVENT! This standard of excellence is the hallmark of the Huntington." -BerkshireFineArts.com

"GENIUS! A luminous and brilliant production that makes the ’20s roar once more. Yvette Freeman is fabulous!" -EdgeBoston.com

"Yvette Freeman is a force of nature, and you can’t take your eyes off the captivating Jason Bowen. Director Liesl Tommy gets at the heart of the story and conducts the talented ensemble like a virtuoso." -BroadwayWorld.com

"An EXTRAORDINARY and moving experience!" -BostonMan.com

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is the tops! SPECIAL THEATRE YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS!" —AlistArts.com

"POETIC, PROPHETIC, AND PROFOUND! Ma Rainey's has come to the Huntington at last — lucky, lucky Boston." -Cape Cod Times

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Audience Buzz

"Jason Bowen: 'volcanic, spellbinding.' Yes. This was spot-on casting. I enjoyed all the actors' performances. And I will assuredly buy tickets for anything Liesl Tommy directs in the future." — Wayne Tucker via Facebook

"Saw the show on Saturday and LOVED it. Highly recommend it." — Julie-Anne Whitney via Facebook

Boston is luck to have had August Wilson's 10 play century cycle @huntington. Go see patter and tale filled blues drama 'Ma Rainey'" — @AhtsAndCultchua

"Great production of #MaRaineysBlackBottom, Both funny & heartbreaking. One of the best shows I've seen this season!" — @bkornell

"I agree. The casting was phenomenal. Each actor fully embodied their character. I felt like I was part of their conversation. The play has really stuck with me since I saw it on Saturday. I urge everyone to see it. I didn't expect the heavy moments and neither did I expect the sobs that Jason Bowen pulled from me. My heart ached for Levee's anguish. Everyone was stellar in this production. I wish I could meet you all to thank you personally. Best of luck!" — Kris K on the Blog

"While the play was very good, I'm reviewing the entire, Huntington experience here. It was the third night of the Back Bay blackout. I honestly didn't think they would be open. The entire block of Mass Ave was dark, except for the few buildings with generators. The Huntington pulled it off, and had a generator. They started a little late, but I have to really give them credit. The old adage 'the show must go on' was strictly adhered to. Bravo Huntington!!" — Goldstar Member

"An extremely moving and powerful performance!" — Goldstar Member

"Powerful, most enjoyable, The story and cast were excellent. Thank you Huntington. I have been telling all my friends and family." — Goldstar Member

Features

MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM AT THE HUNTINGTON
From WGBH's Greater Boston, March 15, 2012: "Jared Bowen speaks with ER star Yvette Freeman about the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the final installment in the company's cycle of plays by the late August Wilson.. . . . "

MA RAINEY: SEARING LOOK AT RACISM THROUGH MUSIC
From BU Today, March 14, 2012: "When Ma Rainey's Black Bottom opened on Broadway in 1984, New York Times critic Frank Rich wrote that Tony and Pulitzer winning playwright August Wilson 'sends the entire history of black America crashing down upon our heads.' A play about white racism and its victims, Ma Rainey is driven by music, especially the reign of 1920s blues legend Gertrude "Ma" Rainey. . . . "

WITH MA RAINEY, HUNTINGTON COMPLETES ITS AUGUST WILSON CYCLE
From The Boston Globe, March 9, 2012: "When Ma Rainey's Black Bottom opened on Broadway in 1984, playwright August Wilson emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, as an electrifying new voice in American theater. The poet from Pittsburgh was hailed for his lyrical voice and for his singular ability to capture the hopes and dreams — often deferred — of black Americans. . . . "

WATCH A SLIDE SHOW NARRATED BY CHARLES ISHERWOOD (NY TIMES) ABOUT AUGUST WILSON'S WORK

SEE PHOTOS OF THE NEW YORK PRODUCTIONS OF THE PLAYS THAT COMPRISE AUGUST WILSON'S CENTURY CYCLE

Artists

Thomas Derrah Sturdyvant Thomas Derrah Sturdyvant
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Thomas Derrah

Sturdyvant

Thomas Derrah previously appeared at the Huntington in The Seagull (2014), The Jungle Book (2013), and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012). He’s a founding member of the American Repertory Theater, where he has performed in 120 productions.
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Will LeBow Irvin Will LeBow Irvin
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Will LeBow

Irvin

Will LeBow previously appeared in the Huntington's productions of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (2019), Awake and Sing (2014), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012), Bus Stop (2010), The Corn is Green (2009), How Shakespeare Won the West (2008), The Cherry Orchard (2007), Love's Labour's Lost (2006), The Rivals (2005)(IRNE Award, Best Supporting Actor), and the world premiere of Sonia Flew (2004).
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G. Valmont Thomas Cutler G. Valmont Thomas Cutler
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G. Valmont Thomas

Cutler

G. Valmont Thomas previously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012) at the Huntington. He has regional credits that include The Cherry Orchard (Seattle Repertory Theatre, director, Dan Sullivan), Seven Guitars (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, director, Kenny Leon), and Radio Golf (Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre Center, director, Tim Bond).
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Charles Weldon Toledo Charles Weldon Toledo
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Charles Weldon

Toledo

Charles Weldon previously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012) at the Huntington. He has appeared on Broadway in The River Niger and Big Time Buck White with Mohammed Ali. His Off Broadway credits include A Soldier's Play, The Great MacDaddy, The Offering, and The Brownsville Raid (The Negro Ensemble Company), Seven Guitars (Signature Company), and Birdie Blue (Second Stage Theatre).
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Glenn Turner Slow Drag Glenn Turner Slow Drag
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Glenn Turner

Slow Drag

Glenn Turner previously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012) at the Huntington. He has appeared on Broadway in A Chorus Line, My One & Only, Grand Hotel: The Musical (Original Cast), Five Guys Named Moe (Original Cast), Grease, andHigh Society (Original Cast). His Off Broadway credits include Langston in Harlem (2010 Audelco Award), Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death (Classical Theatre of Harlem), On The Town (New York Shakespeare Festival), The Wild Party (New York Shakespeare Festival Workshop), and Beggers Holiday, Carmen Jones, Suburbs, and Regina (York Theatre).
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Jason Bowen Levee Jason Bowen Levee
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Jason Bowen

Levee

Jason Bowen previously appeared in A Raisin in the Sun (2013), Invisible Man (2013), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2011), Ruined (2011), Prelude to a Kiss (2010), and A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration (2009) at the Huntington. His regional credits include My Mañana Comes (The Playwright’s Realm), All The Way (Cleveland Play House), As You Like It and Black Odyssey(Denver Center for the Performing Arts), The Lake Effect (TheatreWorks Palo Alto), June Moon (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Ruined (La Jolla Playhouse), Love’s Labours Lost and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), Twelfth Night, Othello, The Duchess of Malfi, and The Tempest (Actors’ Shakespeare Project), It’s A Wonderful Life: A Radio Play (Merrimack Repertory Theatre), and Groundswell (Lyric Stage Company).

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Yvette Freeman Ma Rainey Yvette Freeman Ma Rainey
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Yvette Freeman

Ma Rainey

Yvette Freeman previously appeared in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2012). She starred in Broadway, First National, Paris, and international companies of Ain't Misbehavin' and the New York production of Dinah Was, based on the life of the legendary jazz singer Dinah Washington, for which she received the 1998 Obie Award for Best Actress.
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Timothy John Smith Policeman Timothy John Smith Policeman
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Timothy John Smith

Policeman

Timothy John Smith previously appeared at the Huntington as Don Harper in Rapture, Blister, Burn (2013),the Policeman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2012), the Governor in Candide (2011), and Taylor in Prelude to a Kiss (2010).
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Joniece Abbott-Pratt Dussie Mae Joniece Abbott-Pratt Dussie Mae
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Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Dussie Mae

Joniece Abbott-Pratt performed Off Broadway in The Good Negro and appeared in regional productions of Gem of the Ocean.
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Corey Allen Sylvester Corey Allen Sylvester
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Corey Allen

Sylvester

Corey Allen previously appeared at the Huntington in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2012). His recent New York productions include Moony’s Kid Don’t Cry (Abingdon Theatre Company) and he has been seen regionally in The Fall of Heaven (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Othello, King Lear, The Comedy of Errors (Great River Shakespeare Festival), and more.

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August Wilson Playwright August Wilson Playwright
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August Wilson

Playwright

August Wilson authored How I Learned What I Learned (2016), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2012), Fences (2009), Radio Golf (2006), Gem of the Ocean (2004), King Hedley II (2000), Jitney (1998), Seven Guitars (1995), Two Trains Running (1990), The Piano Lesson (1988), and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1986). These works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans decade-by-decade over the course of the 20^th century.
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Liesl Tommy Director Liesl Tommy Director
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Liesl Tommy

Director

Liesl Tommy is an award-winning stage director returning to the Huntington having previously directed Top Girls (2018), A Raisin in the Sun (2013), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2012), and Ruined (2011).
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Clint Ramos Scenic and Costume Designer Clint Ramos Scenic and Costume Designer
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Clint Ramos

Scenic and Costume Designer

Clint Ramos (Scenic Design) previously designed sets and/or costumes for The Purists, Topdog/Underdog and The Colored Museum (all directed by Billy Porter), as well as after all the terrible things I do, A Raisin in the Sun, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Ruined at the Huntington.
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Marcus Doshi Lighting Designer Marcus Doshi Lighting Designer
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Marcus Doshi

Lighting Designer

Marcus Doshi designs for theatre, opera, and dance and collaborates with artists and architects on a wide array of non-theatrical ventures.
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Broken Chord Sound Design, Original Music, and Music Direction Broken Chord Sound Design, Original Music, and Music Direction
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Broken Chord

Sound Design, Original Music, and Music Direction

Broken Chord created the sound design and original music for Top Girls (2018), A Raisin in the Sun (2013), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(2012) and Ruined (2011) at the Huntington.
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Leslie Sears Production Stage Manager Leslie Sears Production Stage Manager
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Leslie Sears

Production Stage Manager

Leslie Sears has worked on the Huntington premieres of Sons of the Prophet, Vengeance is the Lord’s, A Civil War Christmas.
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Kevin Robert Fitzpatrick Stage Manager Kevin Robert Fitzpatrick Stage Manager
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Kevin Robert Fitzpatrick

Stage Manager

Kevin Robert Fitzpatrick continues with the Huntington after recently stage managing Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, God of Carnage, Captors, Candide, and last season’s Bus Stop.
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