CHICAGO—A magnanimous character looms over us in August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean.” Her heart is big enough, her strength great enough, for the audience to crawl inside, relax, and breathe. Characters of this magnitude are so rare in theater today that they would take one’s breath away if that weren’t exactly what they supplied. Director Ron OJ Parson beautifully mounted this timely, rich piece at Court Theatre on Chicago’s south side.
“Gem of the Ocean” is chronologically the first in Wilson’s 10-play cycle, wherein each play takes on one decade of African American life in the 20th century. Here, the characters are still grappling with their emancipation 40 years after the event: What does freedom mean? Is it worth it—meaning, are things really any better?
