September 2013: Chicago...again

Pullman Porter Blues by Cheryl L. West at the Goodman

I was attracted to this piece mainly because there was a "Blues & Brews" pre-show event (with free beer, free BBQ, free blues!) on the Thursday night I found myself back in Chicago for work. A stranger to Cheryl L. West's work (but not name), I absolutely loved this play with music that takes place one long night in 1937 on a luxury train heading from Chicago to New Orleans. While there's not a lot of plot, the characters are so rich that they could have filled even more than the almost 3-hour running time. Three generations of black porters find themselves, for the first time, working the same train, which is also inhabited by the more prestigious white servers and the blues band whose singer has a past history with the mid-generation porter. Not seen, but heavily figuring into the action, are the wealthy white passengers "roughing it" in the deluxe sleeping cars. Think Downton Abbey or Upstairs Downstairs on a train with an added layer created by the separation by race of the workers. This one show could easily translate to the small screen, but it's definitely worth seeing as it is. First-class production at the Goodman by way of the Seattle Rep and DC's Arena Stage!