Among the magic tricks August Wilson was able to pull off in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is to create fictional artists who are neither jokes nor stand-ins for the author. Most writers fail at this, but Wilson created a band for Ma—brilliantly realized last night by Damon Gupton, Glynn Turman, Jason Dirden, and Thomas Silcott—that live and breath. It's probably key that Wilson never makes it clear whether Ma and her band are brilliant or hacks. They sounded really good to me (actors who can not only act but play trumpet, trombone, piano and bass?!?!) but that’s not the point. There are so many other things going on, in a recording studio, circa 1927 …
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