Photo of Greta Oglesby, Kelvin Roston Jr., Kristy Johnson, A.C. Smith, James T. Alfred, Alfred H. Wilson, Cedric Young by Michael Brosilow.
Get to know the characters of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and read a detailed synopsis of the play.
Characters
Levee: A talented but temperamental trumpet player in Ma’s band; often at odds with other band members (played by James T. Alfred)
Policeman: A cop who wants to arrest Sylvester after Ma gets into a wreck (played by David Chrzanowski)
Sturdyvant: The white owner of the South Side recording studio where the play takes place; obsessed with making money and uncomfortable working with Black performers (played by Thomas J. Cox)
Dussie Mae: Ma Rainey’s beautiful, opportunistic younger lover (played by Kristy Johnson)
Ma Rainey: The “mother of blues” and decision-making for her band; acutely aware of her manager and producer’s goal to make money off of her (played by Greta Oglesby)
Sylvester: Ma’s nephew who is built “like an Arkansas fullback” and has a stutter (played by Kelvin Roston Jr.)
Slow Drag: A slow-moving but talented bass player in Ma’s band (played by A.C. Smith)
Irvin: Ma Rainey’s white agent who liaises with Black performers and the white people around them (played by Stephen Spencer)
Toledo: A philosophical piano player in Ma’s band (played by Alfred H. Wilson)
Cutler: A guitar and trombone player in Ma’s band (played by Cedric Young)
Sturdyvant, a white recording studio owner, and Irvin, a white manager of Ma Rainey’s band, enter the recording studio to set up a recording session. Sturdyvant is concerned about making money, pinching pennies, and making sure that he does not get jerked around by Ma’s “shenanigans.” Irvin assures him that he will handle it.
Cutler, Slow Drag, and Toledo arrive to set up and warm up for the session. They discuss Levee, who arrives late after buying some brand new shoes, apparently to impress Dussie Mae. The men joke and argue as they wait for Ma to arrive. Toledo muses philosophically, Levee is argumentative, and Cutler and Slow Drag try to get Levee in line. Levee insists that he is on his way to getting a band together and being a star of his own. He wants to play a new style that Ma is uninterested in. Sturdyvant is exceedingly frustrated that Ma is late, and Irvin tries to assure him that it’s under control.
Ma Rainey finally arrives with her nephew Sylvester and her young lover Dussie Mae in tow. A policeman is with them, insisting that he arrest Sylvester after he allegedly ran a light and then assaulted a cab driver. Irvin smoothes the situation over, and the policeman leaves because a white man is claiming “responsibility” for Ma and her entourage.
Ma prepares to record but halts progress because she does not have what she needs. She also insists that her nephew Sylvester say the introduction to a song, despite others’ protestations about his stutter. Irvin and Sturdyvant are increasingly irate about the holdups and how far behind schedule they are. After one excellent take, they realize a wire is not plugged in, and it must be re-done.
Levee flirts with and kisses Dussie Mae, who seems interested in him if he does manage to form his own band. The other band members warn him to cool it and that Ma will not tolerate him flirting with her.
The band members debate and argue about whether a Black man can ever be satisfied in life, and whether Black men are trying to be white men. Levee dreams of being such a hot commodity that white men beg him to make music.
Levee and Cutler fight about God. Levee says God is the white man’s God, and never helps a Black man. Levee pulls a knife out and tells Cutler that his God can save him. Levee laments that God didn’t save his mother and eventually puts his knife away.
As the recording session concludes, Ma fires Levee for going rogue with his playing and not following her directions.
After some concern that Sylvester will not be fairly paid, both he and Ma receive their money. They leave. The other band members get paid. Sturdyvant is dismissive of Levee’s songs; he says he won’t let Levee record them, but he’ll pay $5 apiece for the music itself. Levee is furious. Sturdyvant maintains that people won’t buy records like that.
Toledo and a fuming Levee bump into each other. Levee explodes because Toledo has stepped on his new shoes. He pulls his knife out and stabs Toledo in the back. Remorseful and shocked, he tries unsuccessfully to revive Toledo as the play ends.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom takes place in a recording studio on the South Side of Chicago in the 1920s.
Place in the August Wilson Century Cycle
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the third play chronologically in August Wilson’s Century Cycle, taking place in the 1920s. It was written in 1982 and produced at Court Theatre in 2009.
A Note for Teachers
This play features strong language, including racial slurs, and physical violence (onstage) and sexual violence (described).
