With the final chapter of playwright August Wilson’s legendary ten-part series, ‘The Century Cycle’ on stage now at Old City’s Arden Theatre in the guise of ‘Radio Golf’, several of Philadelphia’s most contemporary-classic Black actors are needed to tell this tale.
‘Radio Golf’ director Kash Goins and actors Brian Anthony Wilson, Phillip Brown, Damien J. Wallace and Zuhairah each have their own perspective of how Wilson’s story plays out.
Each of these illustrious Philly actors had their say on the work and the legend of playwright Wilson as each have performed in the late playwright’s finest works – including ‘Gem of the Ocean’, also staged at the Arden.
“August is one of the most outstanding African-American writers in our time, and for me to do ‘Radio Golf’ is poignant as I played the Aunt in ‘Gem of the Ocean’, at the Arden,” said Zuhairah.
Portraying yet another family matriarch, Mame Wilks in ‘Radio Golf’, Zuhairah is completing Wilson’s riveting cycle, one that starts spiritually, criminally and emotionally from the time of “slave ships” and wound up in 1997 in the City of Bones and themes of capitalism and gentrification.
The actress goes on to say how Wilson and the last work in ‘Century Cycle’ continues to demonstrate the economical disparity and racism sadly inherent in African-American life — “how we could ride through it, and above it all,” adds Zuhairah.
But Phillip Brown has another vision. The actor connects the dots of Wilson’s many decades, “from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and coming here against our will, torn from family, and ending with the game set up by America that destroys the brotherhood of the family construct.”
While Damien J. Wallace (Elder Joseph Barlow) finds poetry and musicality to the words of Wilson due to its legendarily heavy jazz influence — “you can hear those notes – you might not sing them well, but you belt them out” — actor Brian Anthony Wilson (Sterling Johnson) feels a deep connection to Wilson due to having been in the playwright’s presence on several occasions.
“I have acted in six of the ten plays in this cycle, and it has been an honor,” says Wilson, playing an ex-con in this last chapter. “And my character, in ‘Radio Golf’, is very much what-you-see-is-what you-get.”
Director Goins is fond of the entirety of Wilson’s ‘Century Cycle’, having acted in and/or directed six of its ten episodes, and looked forward to paying homage to that cycle in his direction of ‘Radio Golf’.
“For people who are intimately connected to the series, you’re going get a little bit more during ‘Radio Golf’ – a little garnish on the top,” said Goins, laughing of set elements and video montages that will connect ‘Radio Golf’ to Wilson’s previous nine episodes in the ‘Century Cycle’.
Regarding working with a handful of Philly’s finest actors and finding the musicality of ‘Radio Golf’, Goins calls directing this crew the easiest part of his day.
“You don’t have to teach this crew anything about how to act. I have a very collaborative process, and am never interested in creating a world,” says Goins. “I am interested in seeing a world form around me, and playing my part to help make that cohesive. I have fun doing that, and if an actor takes a leap during rehearsal, I’m putting it in while making sure it fits. It is all about having actors with the tools, the courage and the creativity to make stuff that I wouldn’t even think about. That’s how ‘Radio Golf’ is.”
‘Radio Golf’ is on stage at Arden Theatre, 40 N. 2nd Street, through April 16. For information and tickets, visit ardentheatre.org
