The late August Wilson is celebrated for his 'Philadelphia' cycle of ten plays all but one of which are set in his home town, the city of brotherly love. The exception is this one, which was the first in the cycle and is set in Chicago where four black musicians are waiting for the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey who is late for her date to cut two sides - the time is 1927 when discs were made of shellac. All of Wilson's work explores the 'black' experience and this is no exception and trumpet player Chadwick Boseman (in what turned out to be his final film) loses no time needling the other three and the 'N' word is flung about liberally. Although Viola Davis has the eponymous role it is Boseman who has the lion's share of the dialogue yet at the end of the day it remains a powerful piece of ensemble acting.
Review of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
