“Trouble in Mind” at Hartford Stage by Zander Opper

“Trouble in Mind”

Hartford Stage

Hartford Stage is currently offering a scorching production of Alice Childress’ compelling 1955 play, “Trouble in Mind.”  The action in the show focuses on a director and actors in rehearsal for a Broadway play.  If the first act is extremely involving and pleasurable, the second act gives way to fiery conflict, which is pointedly ignited by race relations.  The excellent cast is led by the formidable Heather Alicia Simms, as the character of Wiletta, whose arguments with the extraordinary John Bambery, as the director Al, about the play they are rehearsing lead to blazing speeches which moved the audience I saw the show with to cheers and applause.

The expert director Christopher D. Betts keeps “Trouble in Mind” moving at a steady pace and allows the tension in the play to slowly come to a boil, which proves to be quite unforgettable and almost heart stopping.  “Trouble in Mind” is an incendiary play which sneaks up on you without warning and the great news is that Hartford Stage has done full justice to this work.

What’s amazing about “Trouble in Mind,” besides its content, is that while the play premiered Off-Broadway in 1955, it did not make its Broadway premiere until 2021.  Playwright Alice Childress had conflicts about changing aspects of the play and, therefore, this work never made the transition to Broadway in the 1950s.  It should be noted that “Trouble in Mind” is a play that is definitely of its time, with scary references to McCarthyism and black-listing, as well as a portrait of how the Black characters are treated.  The company of actors in the show is about equally mixed between Caucasian and Black performers and this mixture ultimately adds an electricity to how the characters interact with each other.

Perhaps the biggest triumph of this production of “Trouble in Mind” is that the cast is uniformly terrific, with just about every performer making a distinct mark in the show.  As Wiletta, Heather Alicia Simms is the real standout and it is striking to watch how her character slowly changes throughout the play.  Simms carefully modulates her performance as the plot progresses and, by the time she reaches a standoff with the director late in the show, her emotional and potent stance against the ending of the play-within-the-play reaches a fever pitch.  And, in addition to her powerful dramatic portrayal, this actress is also a wonderful singer.

As director Al, John Bambery equals Simms from beginning to end and this actor is not afraid of being unsympathetic and unlikable.  Indeed, Bambery delivers a remarkable performance.  In other roles, Sarah Lyddan is sweet and believably fresh-faced as Judy, a young actress making her Broadway debut.  Likewise, Michael Rogers is just perfect as Sheldon, who does everything he can to avoid conflict between the races.  Chelsea Lee Williams is lovely and cunning as Millie and Sideeq Heard is extremely good as the newcomer John, who is aiming for a movie career beyond Broadway.

Adam Langdon is memorable as the thankless and put-upon Eddie, who is basically a go-fer to the director.  Not to be forgotten is the fine James Joseph O’Neil as Bill, who does not enter in the play until the second act.  Still, if I had to pick a favorite character amongst these excellent performers in “Trouble in Mind” it would be Richmond Hoxie’s touching part as the slightly hard-of-hearing Henry. Henry has been in the theater business for quite a long time and he is also the one who is sent out to get coffee and food for the actors.  Hoxie is quite marvelous and his connection to Simms’ Wiletta, especially in the final moments of the play, is absolutely riveting.

The director also does a fantastic job with his design team, with scenic designer Baron E. Pugh providing the ideal set for the show and really capturing the backstage feeling of the play.  Janise LeBouef’s costumes are particularly spot-on and she brings the look of the 1950s completely to life.  The lighting design provided by Emma Deane is striking and atmospheric and it must also be said that the music and songs chosen for this show are entirely appropriate.

“Trouble in Mind” at Hartford Stage is truly a work to be reckoned with, especially as presented in such a dynamite production.  Alice Childress’ play, though written in and capturing a bygone era, also manages to be quite universal and, most unfortunately, it should be mentioned that its portrait of the conflict between the races is still sadly relevant, even in the present day.  Try to catch “Trouble in Mind” at Hartford Stage, for this is most definitely a singular play that feels unlike just about anything I have ever experienced before and it sends one out with quite a bit to talk about long after the show has ended.

“Trouble in Mind” runs through June 18, 2023, at Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford CT.  For tickets and more information, please call 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

Photo: (L-R): James Joseph O’Neil, Sarah Lyddan, John Bambery, and Heather Alicia Simms

Photo by T. Charles Erickson