View source for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

{{short description|1982 play by August Wilson}}
{{About||the 2020 film adaptation|Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (film)}}
{{Infobox play
| name       = Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
| image      = Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.jpg
| caption    =
| writer     = [[August Wilson]]
| series     = ''[[The Pittsburgh Cycle|Century Cycle]]''
| genre      = Drama
| setting    = Chicago, early 1927
| subject    = A blues group waits to get to work in the studio, and tempers flare.
| premiere   = 1984
| place      = [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]]<br/>[[Waterford, Connecticut]]
| orig_lang  = English
| web        =
}}
'''''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom''''' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play [[August Wilson#The Pittsburgh Cycle|Century Cycle]] by [[August Wilson]] – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience.  The play is set in a [[recording studio]] in 1920s [[Chicago]], and deals with issues of race, art, religion, and the historic exploitation of black recording artists by white producers.
The play's title comes from [[Ma Rainey]]'s song of the same name, which refers to the [[Black Bottom (dance)|Black Bottom dance]]. Rainey, whose life as a well-known [[blues]]-singer of the 1920s is an inspiration for the play, is also the titular character.
''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' was published in the early 1980s and premiered at the [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]]. Its [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut at the [[Cort Theatre]] in 1984 won a [[New York Drama Critics' Circle]] award and garnered a [[Tony Award]] nomination for [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]].  In 2020, Wilson's play was adapted [[Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (film)|for film]].
==Plot==
In a Chicago recording studio in 1927, Ma Rainey's band players Cutler, Toledo, Slow Drag, and Levee gather to record a new album of her songs. As they wait for her to arrive they tell stories, joke, philosophize, and argue. Tension is apparent between the young hot-headed trumpeter Levee, who dreams of having his own band, and veterans Cutler and Toledo.
By the time Ma Rainey arrives with entourage in tow, recording has fallen badly behind schedule, enraging producers Sturdyvant and Irvin. Ma's insistence that her stuttering nephew Sylvester speak the title song's introduction wreaks further havoc. As the band waits for various technical problems to be solved, Levee and Cutler come to blows. Levee is then simultaneously fired by Ma for his uncompromising behavior, and rejected by producer Sturdyvant when he tries to get his own record deal. In a rage, Levee fatally stabs Toledo, destroying any possibility of a future for himself.
==Productions==
The play had its first staged reading in 1982 at the [[Eugene O'Neill Theater Center]] in [[Waterford, Connecticut]]. The four main members of the cast -- [[Charles S. Dutton]] as Levee, [[Joe Seneca]] as Cutler, [[Leonard Jackson (actor)|Leonard Jackson]] as Slow Drag, and [[Robert Judd (actor)|Robert Judd]] as Toledo—almost immediately developed a very strong sense of ensemble.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/28/theater/a-ma-rainey-quartet-plays-its-own-special-music.html |title=Nemy, Enid "A 'Ma Rainey' Quartet Plays Its Own Special Music." |work=The New York Times |date=28 October 1984 |access-date=2018-08-26 |archive-date=2018-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819011219/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/28/theater/a-ma-rainey-quartet-plays-its-own-special-music.html |url-status=live |last1=Nemy |first1=Enid }}</ref> At that time, the best-known actor in the cast was [[Theresa Merritt]], who played Ma.
Direction was by [[Lloyd Richards]], one of August Wilson's most frequent collaborators. Richards and Wilson worked together for almost two years on the play. It opened at the [[Yale Repertory Theater]] in April 1984, and then moved to Broadway's [[Cort Theatre]]. The show opened on October 11, 1984, and show ran for 276 performances. It received a 1985 Tony Award nomination for Best Play; Dutton and Merritt were nominated for acting awards. The production was recorded and released by [[Manhattan Records]].<ref>{{Cite web| title = Various - Original Broadway Cast Recording Ma Rainey's Black Bottom| work = Discogs| date = 1985| access-date = 2020-12-28| url = https://www.discogs.com/Various-Original-Broadway-Cast-Recording-Ma-Raineys-Black-Bottom/release/7750865| archive-date = 2021-02-08| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210208220915/https://www.discogs.com/Various-Original-Broadway-Cast-Recording-Ma-Raineys-Black-Bottom/release/7750865| url-status = live}}</ref>
[[File:Ma' Rainey's Black Bottom 2009.jpg|thumb|A performance in 2009]]
It was first performed in the UK at the [[Royal National Theatre]] in London in 1989 in a production by Howard Davies starring Clarke Peters and Hugh Quarshie as Toledo and Levee.<ref>{{cite web | title=Other works for Clarke Peters | url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676370/otherworks | work=The Internet Movie Database | year=2008 | access-date=2008-09-18 | archive-date=2015-03-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321084314/http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0676370/otherworks | url-status=live }}</ref> It was enormously well received.
A Broadway revival opened on February 6, 2003, at the Royale Theatre, featuring Dutton reprising his role as Levee and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] as Ma.  Directed by [[Marion McClinton]], the show ran for 68 performances.
Subsequent UK revivals have taken place in Liverpool at the Playhouse starring [[Melanie La Barrie]] as Ma and [[Cornelius Macarthy]] as Levee (2004, direction: Gemma Bodinetz) and the Manchester [[Royal Exchange Theatre]] in a production starring [[Antonio Fargas]] as Toledo, [[Ram John Holder]] as Slow Drag, and Johnnie Fiori as Ma (2006, direction: Jacob Murray).
In 2016 the National Theatre in London revived the show to great critical acclaim, garnering a Laurence Olivier award for best revival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olivierawards.com/nominations/view/item274537/best-revival/ |title=Best Revival - Olivier Awards |access-date=2015-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427184640/http://www.olivierawards.com/nominations/view/item274537/best-revival/ |archive-date=2015-04-27 }}</ref> The production starred [[O-T Fagbenle]] as Levee and [[Sharon D. Clarke]] as Ma Rainey.
In 2020, a [[Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (film)|film adaptation]] by screenwriter [[Ruben Santiago-Hudson]] and director [[George C. Wolfe]], starring [[Viola Davis]] and [[Chadwick Boseman]], was released.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Debruge |first=Peter |date=2020-11-20 |title=Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' Review |language=en-US |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/ma-raineys-black-bottom-review-chadwick-boseman-viola-davis-1234835504/ |access-date=2021-04-07}}</ref>
== Cast and characters ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:1000;"
!Characters
!1984 Original Broadway cast
!2003 Broadway revival
!2016 West End revival
|-
!Ma Rainey
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Theresa Merritt]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Whoopi Goldberg]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Sharon D. Clarke]]
|-
!Levee (trumpeter)
| colspan="2" align="center"| [[Charles S. Dutton]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[O. T. Fagbenle|O-T Fagbenle]]
|-
!Slow Drag (bassist)
| colspan="1" align="center"| Leonard Jackson
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Stephen McKinley Henderson]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Giles Terera]]
|-
!Toledo (pianist)
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Robert Judd (actor)|Robert Judd]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Thomas Jefferson Byrd]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Lucian Msamati]]
|-
!Cutler (trombonist)
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Joe Seneca]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Carl Gordon (actor)|Carl Gordon]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| Clint Dyer
|-
!Irvin (Ma's manager)
| colspan="1" align="center"| Lou Criscuolo
| colspan="1" align="center"| Jack Davidson
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Finbar Lynch]]
|-
!Sturdyvant (studio owner)
| colspan="1" align="center"| John Carpenter
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Louis Zorich]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Stuart McQuarrie]]
|-
!Dussie Mae
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Aleta Mitchell]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Heather Simms|Heather Alicia Simms]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Tamara Lawrance]]
|-
!Sylvester (Ma's nephew)
| colspan="1" align="center"| Scott Davenport-Richards
| colspan="1" align="center"| [[Anthony Mackie]]
| colspan="1" align="center"| Tunji Lucas
|-
!Policeman
| colspan="1" align="center"| Christopher Loomis
| colspan="1" align="center"| Tony Cucci
| colspan="1" align="center"| John Paul Connolly
|}
==Awards and nominations==
===Original Broadway production===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="8" align="center"| 1985
| rowspan="3"| [[39th Tony Awards|Tony Awards]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Play|Best Play]]
| [[August Wilson]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play]]
| [[Charles S. Dutton]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play|Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play]]
| [[Theresa Merritt]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award]]s
| colspan="2"| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play|Outstanding Play]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play|Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play]]
| Charles S. Dutton
| {{won}}
|-
| [[28th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album|Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording]]
| [[Mike Berniker]] {{small|(producer)}} & the Original Broadway Cast
| {{won}}
|-
| [[New York Drama Critics' Circle|New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards]]
| Best Play
| August Wilson
| {{won}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Theatre World Award]]s
| Charles S. Dutton
| {{won}}
|}
===2003 Broadway revival===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominee
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 2003
| [[57th Tony Awards|Tony Awards]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play|Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Thomas Jefferson Byrd]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Theatre World Award]]s
| {{won}}
|}
===2016 West End revival===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Result
|-
| rowspan="1" align="center"| 2016
| rowspan="1"| [[2016 Laurence Olivier Awards|Laurence Olivier Awards]]
| [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Revival|Best Revival]]
| {{won}}
|}
==References==
<references />
==Further reading==
* {{cite book | last=Wilson | first=August | title=Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: A Play in Two Acts | edition=First | location= New York| publisher=New American Library | year=1985 | isbn=0-452-25684-4 }}
==External links==
* {{IBDB show|5680}}
* {{IBDB title|4346|Ma Rainey's Black Bottom|(1984 production)}}
* {{IBDB title|13462|Ma Rainey's Black Bottom|(2003 revival)}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom''
| list =
{{Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album 1980s}}
{{OlivierAward PlayRevival 2001–2025}}
}}
{{Pittsburgh Cycle}}
[[Category:1982 plays]]
[[Category:American plays adapted into films]]
[[Category:Broadway plays]]
[[Category:New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners]]
[[Category:The Pittsburgh Cycle]]
[[Category:Plays set in the 1920s]]
[[Category:Plays set in Chicago]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album]]