Blues For An Alabama Sky

                                                         Tariq Kanu & Ebony Pullum

The Lantern Theater Company is presenting the Philadelphia premiere of Pearl Cleage’s Blues For An Alabama Sky through March 15, 2026 at St. Stephen’s Theater, 10^th and Ludlow Streets, Philadelphia, Pa.  The set is marvelous.  With a raised platform on the stage, a second apartment is established.  Angel (Ebony Pullman) and Guy (Cookie Diorio) are staying downstairs while Delia (Taylor J. Mitchell) lives upstairs. Guy’s walls are awash with fabric samples and sketches for designs he hopes to submit to Josephine Baker.  He has cupboards that are filled with bottles of champagne that the friends frequently drink to celebrate a moment or to wish for a better one.  When an uncompromising Southern gentleman, Leland, (Tariq Kanu) arrives on the scene and asks, “Isn’t this the time of prohibition?” Guy responds with, “Not in Harlem.” The acting is excellent. Delia is an outgoing activist, hoping to start her own clinic for women. She’s ‘bubbly’, passionate, and eager to fulfill her dreams. Kash Goins is the enthusiastic doctor who is ready to help her. Guy is an optimist, consistent in his beliefs that any day his designs will be discovered and he will be off to Paris, designing costumes for Josephine Baker. He is willing to enjoy himself with champagne while he is waiting.  Angel’s life falls apart when she loses the love of her life and her job minutes apart. Shortly after, Leland comes into her life and although there are some  obvious pitfalls to a potential relationship with him, she becomes pregnant and foreshadows the rest of the play by ending the first act with- “I can’t stand a man who won’t finish what he’s started."- shortly after she observes the gun he is carrying. The second act has many dramatic moments. While the first act is mainly a series of character studies, the second act yields many “Oh No!” utterances from the audience. This is a serious drama, to be sure, but one immersed in joy and laughter as well. For more information or tickets, call 215-829-0395 or visit online at www.lanterntheater.org