Blues for an Alabama Sky
by
Pearl Cleage
Directed by Dr. Kristyl D. Tift
April 13-16, 2022
Neely Auditorium at Vanderbilt University
“Pearl Cleage (b. 1948) is a playwright, essayist, and novelist based in Atlanta, Georgia. A longtime artist- in- residence and current Mellon Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre, Cleage consistently writes about African American women living, loving, and surviving during pivotal moments in US history. ”
“Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky uses the city of Harlem in the 1930s as its backdrop.
This show has been a dramaturg’s dream to work on as Cleage uses the many people and
institutions that colored the Harlem Renaissance to tell the story of five complex and dynamic
characters.”
“...Josephine Baker represents something to which all people — especially
Guy — can aspire. Her career path and trajectory abroad represent freedom/an escape — something sorely missing
from the black experience within the United States. ”
“The Great Depression was a time of extreme economic uncertainty in the United States. [...] While this time of despair and lack was difficult for U.S. citizens of all races, the Harlem Renaissance produced art, literature, poetry, political activism, and social work that offered a bright light in the darkness. ”
Photo by Phillip Franck
Photo by Phillip Franck
