Overview
Synopsis
Angel Allen, a struggling blues singer, has just been fired from her job at the Cotton Club after berating her gangster ex-boyfriend mid-performance. Her best friend, openly gay costume designer Guy Jacobs, has also lost his job at the Cotton Club, but aspires to design dresses for the famous Josephine Baker in Paris. Their next door neighbor, Delia Patterson, fights to open a family planning clinic, while their friend Sam, a doctor, delivers babies at the Harlem Hospital. In the face of hardship, Angel and her friends find a sense of community and fight to keep their dreams alive. But when the very conservative and religious Leland Cunningham begins to court Angel, the friend group must decide to press on with their ambitions or give into the restrictive realities of their time. Set in an apartment building in Harlem over an eight-week period, Blues for an Alabama Sky explores economic hardship, reproductive rights, homophobia, and community as the Harlem Renaissance is forced to face the Great Depression.
Show Information
- Book
- Pearl Cleage
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1995
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Harlem, New York City, 1930s
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Adult, Young Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Emma Houlahan
Canadian vocalist and actor now based in London.