The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee County Post • January 26, 2018 By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — A white musicologist who works for the Library of Congress is looking for black music from the time of slavery. She decides to look in prisons in Texas, figuring she will find singing as inmates work to alleviate the hardship of monotonous, difficult labor. This is where Susannah Mullally discovers Alberta Pearl Johnson, a strong woman with a strong voice. This is the story of their clashes and their growing friendship. Colleen Madden, who plays Mullally, and Lynette Dupree as Johnson seem like real people, not actors play- ing roles. Both are gifted per- formers. Madden has been a the- ater staple in Milwaukee, Madison and Spring Green. DuPree has had an active film and TV career, but this is her first visit to the Milwaukee stage. The story is not over-pro- duced, which is refreshing, thanks to Leda Hoffmann's able direction. It is a tale of two people from very differ- ent backgrounds and having very different goals coming together through music and an eventual understanding through sharing their humanity. The play was inspired by the true story of musicolo- gist John Lomax and his subject Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, who in 1933 worked on an anthology of African-American folklore in 1933. Frank Higgins, author of "Black Pearl Sings!" drew a parallel with these two characters and the search for the music of black women and the songs they shared with their children. It turns out that Black Pearl is a repository of spirituals and folk songs, a boon for Susannah. There is heart and hurt and humor in this story. Both characters have suf- fered in their lifetime by being treated as less valu- able than they are. Though Pearl never thought that Susannah could ever possi- bly understand her, eventu- ally they started working together for their common goals — Susannah wanting recognition for her research and a desired position at Harvard, and Pearl wanting to get out of prison and find her lost daughter. The two acts take place in very different settings — a prison in southern Texas and an artsy apartment in Greenwich Village in New York, quite a transforma- tion, thanks to the talent of Courtney O'Neill, set design- er, and her trusty crew. The songs that Susannah garners from Black Pearl cover a range of life experi- ences. With no accompaniment, the singer lets all her scars show in a medley of tunes. "Still I Love Him," "Troubles So Hard," "This Little Light of Mine," "Do Lord, Remember Me," "No More Auction Block for Me," "Don't You Feel My Leg," "Kum Ba Yah," and "Six Feet of Earth" are some of them. Madden occasionally joins her, and though she is not a vocalist, that fact, too, makes their connection seem more real. All in all, it's a moving show that keeps building as it goes along. By the end, you're very glad you came. Michael Brosilow Colleen Madden, left, and Lynette DuPree in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's "Black Pearl Sings!" By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — Renaissance Theaterworks, now celebrating its 25th year, is a company that encourages women play- wrights, directors and actors, often choosing vehi- cles that dramatize women's issues. In its pres- ent offering, "Russian Transport" by Erika Sheffer, RTW is partnering with three nonprofit organ- izations that are working to eradicate human traffick- ing in the Milwaukee area. This story features a family of Russian immi- grants — Diana, the brow- beating, tough wife and parent, breathtakingly portrayed by Elizabeth Ledo; Misha, the angry, frustrated husband and father, skillfully rendered by Reese Madigan, who manages to elicit our sym- pathy if not our admira- tion; Mira, the beleaguered teenage daughter, with a spot-on performance by April Paul (who also plays several young Russian girls being imported into the country); Alex, the brash, entrepreneurial son, whose conscience has limits, beautifully executed by Max Pink; and Boris, the slick, sculpted Adonis, Diana's younger brother, who arrives on the scene looking for his share of the American dream, strongly played by Mark Puchinsky, a Russian immigrant him- self who grew up in the Milwaukee area. (Among other things, he assisted the cast with the use of the Russian language seg- ments). They form a very able cast telling a heart-wrench- ing story of adjustments, judgments and secrets. Diana runs the house- hold and everyone in it; Misha runs a driving serv- ice; Mira's attention is on a mysterious boyfriend and a desire to go to Italy for sum- mer school, both wishes being unacceptable to her overprotective mother; Alex is helping to support the family with the wages he earns from a cellphone company and doing some driving for his father, but engaging in other mysteri- ous ventures, unbeknownst to his family. When Boris arrives upon the scene, supposedly as a house guest at his rela- tives' home, he is warmly welcomed. Mira even gives up her bedroom, though reluctantly. As Boris begins to shed his pleasant, polite personality to reveal several other layers lurking beneath, we begin to be aware of his sinister moti- vations and his spotty past activities. He apparently puts his own interests above all else, having aban- doned his conscience at some point in his life jour- ney. The atmosphere is tense, erupting at times in some scary scenes among family members. Having a gun in the house doesn't make the house feel any safer (a con- cept rejected by many in today's culture). The multi-use set by Jason Fassl gives one a feel- ing of the friction inherent in too-close quarters. One senses that something bad could occur at any moment. As some of the family secrets are exposed, we condemn the participants involved in the scheme, but also have some sympathy for those who feel an urgency to survive in a hos- tile environment. Light entertainment "Russian Transport" is not. Meaningful, provocative artistry it is. Well done, director Laura Gordon and all your helpful cohorts. Ross E. Zentner "Russian Transport" features Elizabeth Ledo, Mark Puchinsky and April Paul. ENTERTAINMENT 'Black Pearl Sings!' uncovers life of hardship in song 'Russian Transport' thoughtfully address human trafficking issue "Black Pearl Sings!" The play runs through March 18 at the Stackner Cabaret Theatre, 108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee. Call 414-224- 9490 or visit MilwaukeeRep.com. At a glance "Russian Transport" The play runs through Feb. 11 in the Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Call 414-291-7800 or visit r-t- w.com for times and tickets. At a glance

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