by Tony Annicone

Trinity Rep takes us back to Pittsburgh in 1904 with their third show of the season, “Gem of the Ocean” by August Wilson. It’s the first of his 10 Play Cycle, each covering a decade of the 20th Century. Each story is set in the working-class neighborhood known as the Hill District, where Wilson himself was born. These plays take African Americans out of the reconstruction era of the Civil War South and into the modern era of early twentieth century. Mystical, mysterious (and very old) Aunt Ester discusses the newly found freedom from slavery and the “city of bones” that describes the brutal history of the slave trade. Ester also emphasizes the importance of honor and doing what is right, and wants to know what they are willing to die for now that they are free. An original song by Broken Chord, “Remember Me”, opens the show, and when the song is over, we hear a young man pounding on the door. It is Citizen Barlow, who has come to visit Aunt Ester. He wants to be forgiven for something in his past and needs and wants redemption. After receiving advice from Aunt Ester, Solly Two Kings (a former runner for the Underground Railroad, who is courting Ester,) and Eli, (a traveling salesman who is Ester’s care giver and confidant) they take him on a mystical trip to the City of Bones. Barlow wants to pursue a relationship with Black Mary but her brother, Caesar, a hard-headed cop, stands in the way of their relationship.

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