Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

August Wilson’s searing drama about race, exploitation, and the blues is staged by Asolo Repertory Theatre under the direction of Chuck Smith. Set in a sweltering Chicago recording studio in 1927, the play centers on a tense standoff between the legendary "Mother of the Blues" and the white producers trying to control her music. The narrative tension is amplified by the infighting among her backing musicians, particularly a hotheaded trumpet player desperate to modernize their sound. The production demands ferocious, emotionally exhausting performances, dissecting the harsh realities of Black artistic ownership in an industry built on systemic theft.