Attending a Performance-Blues for an Alabama Sky(2 Points) - Jordan Benjamin

On October 23rd, 2025, I attended the opening night of the performance of Blues for an Alabama Sky. This play, written by Pearl Cleage, took place as a production of the Spelman Theatre and Performance group as a part of their 2025-2026 season: Black Joy as Resistance. The play features the story of a group of African American friends in Harlem in the 1930s following the Great Depression. This performance was especially special for me as I got to see my roommate and best friend, Madison Norwood, portray the character of Delia. Her performance was moving and incredibly enjoyable to watch. 

The play discusses the group’s issues with economic hardships, along with racism. It additionally covers issues like sexuality, homophobia, reproductive rights, and autonomy.I believe it is also connected to my coursework as it highlighted issues that we commonly discuss in the African Diaspora and the World, such as Black sexuality, the economic struggles faced by African Americans, and the systems put in place to make the struggle worse, and the fight for women to have autonomy. The play also highlighted the value of community. In the play, we see the characters collaborate with each other to benefit each other. The risk of lacking a community mindset for individuality can also be seen in the character of Angel. Angel chooses her new love interest over the community she has established, which eventually leads to her demise and the loss of her friends. 

The story additionally aligned with my course of Honors English. For our final essay, we discussed the power of imagination and dreaming to create and define one's identity. Dreaming is incredibly integral to this story. From Delia’s dream of opening a family planning clinic to Guy’s, a male friend, dream of making dresses for Josephine Baker in Paris, dreaming is what keeps this group moving. Guy and Delia show the ability to dream for more and beyond the expectations that society has for them. Angel, on the other hand, shows the inability to dream as she stays stagnant in relying on a man, but also in her desire to sing and refusal to learn other avenues of work. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. It was incredible to see how the play addressed numerous issues of the time and how art reflects the realities of the world. The stellar performance by the cast alongside the creative team truly transported the audience into the story of these characters.