Trustus Theatre, the home for relevant, innovative, and inclusive theatrical works in Columbia, South Carolina, is excited to present Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage, opening on March 15th on the Thigpen Mainstage. The play features 5 actors, 4 of whom have not been seen on the Trustus stage before.

The play brings together a rich cast of characters who reflect the conflicting currents of the time through their overlapping personalities and politics. Set in the Harlem apartment of Guy (Lamont Gleaton), a popular costume designer, and his friend, Angel (Katrina Garvin), a recently fired Cotton Club back-up singer, the cast also includes Sam (William Paul Brown), a hard-working, jazz-loving doctor at Harlem Hospital; Delia (Courtney Sims), an equally dedicated member of the staff at the Sanger clinic; and Leland (Samuel James Pygatt), a recent transplant from Tuskegee, who sees in Angel a memory of lost love and a reminder of those “Alabama skies where the stars are so thick it’s bright as day.”

When asked about the play, Director Terrance Henderson says “I have loved this script for many years. The language of the play is so full of life and captures the essence of a moment in history full of considerable transition and change socially, politically, and culturally.  It’s fascinating how parallel 1930 feels to 2024 and illuminates a cyclical paradox of humankind to repeat our mistakes. It begs the question of ‘When will we ever learn?’ The advances we’ve made as a society, especially in terms of technology, have not brought us to the same evolution of our understanding of ourselves as human beings. It answers the ‘why this play’ and ‘why now’ questions easily for me in that it reveals and shows us ourselves in hopes that we move forward with more clarity, understanding and acceptance of who we are and our collective humanity. It’s about the tenacity of the human spirit and the power of dreaming in the midst of life happening to and around us. For me personally, It’s about loving ourselves through our mess as human beings and our capacity for forgiveness and also being intentional about making space for cultivating more empathy for Black bodies and authentic Black stories.”

The show runs from March 15th to 30th, and tickets are available now at trustus.org. By becoming a season subscriber, theater enthusiasts can guarantee their access to all Main Stage productions in the coming year, as well as receive discounts on tickets to productions in the Side Door Theatre and to special events. Discounts for students, seniors, and military are also available.

For more information, or to purchase your tickets, visit trustus.org or call the Trustus Box Office at (803) 254-9732.