Nina Simone: Four Women Theatre Production

Nina Simone Four Women production presented by the Jubilee Theatre on 20th September 2018 was right with amazing vocals and historical relevance. The theatrical work by Jubilee productions for this play, under Regina Washington directions, posits much to be anticipated including acting prowess from its casts and crew. Nevertheless, the most significant aspect is how the crew firmly delivers the play’s music and the critical message. Therefore, the preface of the show was wonderful as the patrons entered the theatre with a kind of lounge performance.

In 1963, the Baptist Church for African-American situated in the 16th street of Birmingham Alabama was bombed due to a conspiracy of white supremacist terrorism, leading to several casualties alongside the demise of four young black girls. In the same year, the incomparable Nina Simone forged a new public identity, which would cover her into the historical archives as one of the profound voices of the American Civil Rights Movements. So, the musicals written by Christina Ham titled Nina Simone: Four Women conveys this metamorphosis into reality by four women’s interwoven stories moving forward by Simone’s music.

The productions’ stage arena slams everyone a set of movement depicting a blown-up church consisting pews flying in the air, settling dust, shattered and smoldering windows, and all sides have scattered debris. The sound designers, Jacob James, and Martin Nielson created a fully unsettled state that propelled the audience into motion and edge of wonder whether it was the last explosion of the dynamite or there was still more to be unleashed, however as the play opens the sound quietly settled. The stage was arranged in a manner that depicted the remains of the Church’s pew. Elizabeth Baker sat periodically on the remaining pew to do lyrics of Simone. She performed her role awesomely; “I loves You Porgy” was the opening song she worked through. Her penetrating voice left the audience with an in-depth resonance, accompanied by pain and sorrow alongside hope and resilience at every time. As Simone, Baker’s motions were of a fighting stance, rotating the stage like a boxing ring. It was a remarkable performance.

Patrice Cunningham played as Sarah; she touched many souls as she was demonstrating the traits of Sarah as a sturdy, and a cemented force of unwavering truth. Daniel Wrights played the sweet and sensitive Sephronia who was a young battle-scared activist and instilled vulnerability. She explained diligently the story of Sephronia, which highlights a glimmer of sacrifices performed by masses of unnamed people who spearheaded the battle for social justice. The scenes opened and closed with little traditional transitions, which occasionally lacked logical sense; it all worked out well.

Throughout the production, the stage wasdominated by Alicia. She teems the audience with emotional propinquity of being defiance and longing to be loved as well. She portrayed the brooding social outcast, though threatening by her exterior; inwardly she speaks volumes of vulnerability to the persisted matters of class struggle within African- American society.The show hinged on Simone’s continuous developing composition of the Civil Rights Movement’s radical song. She wished to be young, gifted and black. Her composition describes how she was unapologetic and regal, and tackling with defiance through what could put her down.

The play demonstrated the actions of the Civil Rights Movement. It fails to take much for one to recognize hatred and acts of violence from the play and continues to impact our society. Nina Simone: Four Women at theatre brings focus on the most gifted artist, reactions to innocent killings, and shows how bodacious talent could stand firm to resist destructions. Through this elegant re-imaging of Simone’s reflections of self-identity as well as the power needed at all time for the people to live. The play shades light on the wreckage, and projects awareness to matters such as the reduced role of black women in Civil Rights Movement to argue over nonviolent objections versus radicalism.

The stage casts seemed to embrace this aspect of the playwright, specifically when Johnsons ultimately delivered the battling cry “Mississippi Goddam” as the play end.  The struggle for equality by the black women was the part of activism in the 1960s, and still part of our contemporary society. However, Ham’s play has paved the way for many, due to the magnificence of Simone as a strong and a proud black woman. Before the era for the Black Cultural Revolution, people were evolving from skin color, and calling someone as black could result in a fight. Innocent killings were rampant as evident in the white supremacy bombing.

It resulted in discussions and activism approaches that have led to an achievement against inequality that can be celebrated in our society. Today, the war against racial discrimination has escalated for the past decades.  Plays such as, Nina Simone: Four Women are impressive achievements that make us proud as a society in a fight over discrimination. The societal implications that berate and threaten Sephronia possess a history. Simone’s stand was clear about any ‘sweet thing’ that she related to a fight or price for her meager survival, to the class struggle considerate. The show rounds-up in an accumulative interpretation of Simone’s “Four Women” as the chief inspiration of the theatrical productions. And, it is appropriate finale a theatre that is worth the experience for the fascinating music and revitalizing historical message.

Do you need high quality Custom Essay Writing Services?

Custom Essay writing Service