Review: ‘Flyin West’ is Armed with Spirit

The latest production at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre transports viewers to the late 19th century, when hundreds of thousands of United States citizens migrated west for ‘free land.’ The Homestead Act granted 160 acres of land to any settler who agreed to live on it for five years and improve it. Among these settlers were large groups of African Americans–many former slaves–who created communities of their own in the western states. With the title to their land, they gained a sense of freedom and ownership that was often absent from their lives in the post-Civil War South. Pearl Cleage’s ‘Flyin’ West’ is the story of a small group of black women from Memphis, Tennessee, who settle just outside the all-black town of Nicodemus, Kansas. The play, set in 1898, was commissioned by The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and premiered there in November 1992. The Santa Monica Theatre Guild production of ‘Flyin’ West,’ directed by Ter’sa Dowell Vest, is both a history lesson and a suspenseful comedy-drama driven by strong performances from the female leads. On opening night, the initial scenes felt a little stiff, as if the actors were performing on stage without an audience, but once they settled into their characters, we became more engaged. By intermission, I was eager to see how the rest of the story would unfold. Each of Cleage’s four female characters is distinct and well-written: from the elderly but strong-willed Miss Leah (Paris Davis Dean), a storyteller with vivid memories of her slave past, to Sophie (Markietha Ka’Von), the fiercely independent head of the household who–armed with a shotgun and sharp gaze–is determined to protect the land from white ‘speculators.’ Ka’Von, a petite woman, delivers a riveting performance, capturing Sophie’s pride with her body language–a puffed-out chest, steady gait and firm grasp on her gun. Sophie looks out for her sisters Fannie (Kasi Jones) and Minnie (Chelsea Wafer), who are more gentle, vulnerable and free-spirited. But when Minnie’s abusive mulatto husband Frank (Justin Biko) threatens to sell her share of the land, the women must join arms to defend their personal property–land, body and soul. They’re assisted by their soft-spoken neighbor Wil Parish (Adrian A. Thomas), a true Southern gentleman who courts Fannie and will do anything to protect her family. Thomas’ crisp narration in between scenes adds structure and an artistic touch to the production, as does the creative staging of certain scenes such as the ‘ritual’ performed by the three young women who hold hands and recite affirmations downstage center. Adorned in their long prairie skirts and blouses (costume design by Sherry Coon and Anne Gesling), they are the picture of frontier spirit. ‘Flyin’ West’ explores many of the same issues Fannie Flagg addressed in her novel ‘Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Caf’–racism in the American South, domestic violence, the power of female friendships or ‘sisterhood,’ and the danger of internal prejudice, from within one’s own tight-knit family circle or community. Cleage, an Atlanta-based author, has written a dozen plays and three novels, including ‘What Looks Like Crazy on An Ordinary Day,’ an Oprah Book Club selection in 1998 that appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for nine weeks. ‘Flyin’ West,’ produced by Larry Gesling and Donis Leonard, runs through February 17 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets ($18 for general admission, $15 for seniors and students), call (310) 828-7519. ———- Reporting by Associate Editor Alyson Sena. To contact, e-mail: newsdesk@palipost.com