Overview
Character Name
Ma Rainey
Gender
Female
Playing Age
Mature Adult
Role Size
Lead
Dramatic Function
Authority Figure, Protagonist
Voice
Non-singer
Time & Place
A Chicago recording studio during the sweltering summer of 1927, at the height of the Blues era
Analysis
Ma Rainey is the legendary "Mother of the Blues," whose towering presence, unyielding pride, and fierce insistence on control dominate the recording studio. Fully aware of how white record producers exploit Black talent for commercial gain, Ma uses her stardom as a shield
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