Artistic director Sheldon Epps stages the play, which, according to Playhouse notes, "unfolds in the summer of 1930 in Harlem, NY, just as the harsh realities of the Great Depression have devastated an ebullient decade of the Harlem Renaissance. Disease and poverty have overshadowed the creative euphoria that permeated and fueled a surge of African American artists, writers and luminaries."
Performances play to Nov. 27. The creative team includes scenic designer John Iacovelli, lighting designer Jared Sayeg and costume designer Karen Perry.
In the play, "Angel (Givens) is a struggling blues singer and nightclub performer who cannot find a job; her friend Guy (Carroll), a costume designer, is also out of work but dreams of being hired to design dresses for the famous African-American singer and dancer Josephine Baker; their neighbor Delia (Thompson), a social worker, is trying to organize a family planning clinic in Harlem; their friend Sam (Hardison), a doctor, works long hours delivering babies at the Harlem Hospital; and Leland (Manning), having recently moved to New York from Tuskegee, sees in Angel a memory of lost love and a reminder of those 'Alabama skies where the stars are so thick it's bright as day.'"
The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA. For tickets and information, call (626) 356-7529 or visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.