RADIO GOLF Examines The Cost of Progress and Ambition
The Black Rep’s current production of Radio Golf is a significant milestone that reflects the company’s mission and its history as one of the most significant Black theater companies in the country. The final play in August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, the show marks the company’s second completion of the playwright’s 10-play series. Focused direction by Jon Royal and an outstanding cast honor the playwright with an engrossing, memorable production about progress and community that keeps the audience thoroughly engaged and entertained.
Harmond Wilks is about to make a life-changing decision, but he’s not aware of it on this bright and shiny morning. This morning, he’s busy finalizing the plans for the revitalization of The Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, an ambitious project he’s developing with his close friend and business partner Roosevelt Hicks. They’re just waiting for final approvals from the city commission and, as he waits, Wilks works on an article he’s writing to launch his upcoming run for Mayor. Hicks, currently vice president at a local bank, bursts into the office, filled with excitement about an upcoming lunch with some local high rollers. Things are looking up for the pair; that is until long-time Hill resident Elder Joseph Barlow, known as Old Joe, wanders into the office with questions about his deed to one of the houses scheduled for demolition. Can both the new development and the old house be saved?
Wilson’s script deftly explores the social structure and conflicting narratives that face Black communities, including exploitation that’s often disguised as opportunity. On the one hand, Wilks and Hicks are sincere in their desire to bring life back to a once-thriving neighborhood; on the other hand, the new apartments and retail locations they’re building are pricing and pushing current residents out of the area. The two men are from more affluent Black families and, as Old Joe astutely observes, success has always come easy for them, in large part because of financial and social advantages Wilks realizes he’s taken for granted.
Reginald L. Wilson expertly captures all of Wilks conflicting emotions and internal struggle in a nuanced and thoughtful performance. Filled with the confidence of a man accustomed to winning, he is taken aback when Old Joe and neighborhood handyman Sterling Johnson make it clear that his project is not welcomed by everyone in the community. Ronald L. Connor, as Hicks, is overly ambitious and willing to make a deal with anyone who will help him advance, even if it destroys his friendships and harms the community. Hicks moves through life with an air of superiority and an almost callous ability to shift allegiance and abandon friendships to further his success. As Old Joe, Ron Himes reveals a sense of gravity and purpose in the old man’s often rambling stories and consistently brings his point home with force and intention. The three performers create believable characters filled with contradictions but true to their intentions, resulting in genuine moments of levity, friendship, and ambiguity that add real tension to their conflict. Velma Austin, as Wilks politically savvy wife Mame, and Kelvin Roston, Jr., as Sterling Johnson, offer contrasting personalities that emphasize the struggle between progress and community.
August Wilson’s American Century Cycle is a poignant and evocative exploration of the Black experience in the 20th century, Radio Golf, set in 1997, closes out the cycle. Initially filled with promise and prosperity, the play reveals that no matter how much progress has been made, disparity and inequality still exist, and the American dream is still out of reach for many. The Black Rep production, suitable for most audiences, delivers that message with engrossing, believable performances, with exceptional characterizations by Reginald L Wilson and Ron Himes. The show has been extended through June 8, with a portion of ticket sales supporting tornado relief from the storms that postponed the original opening. Theatergoers interested in compelling stories that enrich and deepen our understanding of contemporary America won’t want to miss this powerful production.
