Artney Jackson
By James Anthony Tyler
Directed by Laura Savia
James Anthony Tyler’s “Artney Jackson,” in its world premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival, is, billed as a comedy, a heartwarming, unpretentious tale about how ordinary working people deal with what life throws at them. But disarmingly, and without a trace of cynicism, it turns out to be a quiet, yet powerful, antidote to The Age of Trump.
The play covers a workweek in the life of Artney Jackson, in the back office of a cable company in Las Vegas. The fixed setting is the company’s lunchroom. (Shout out to Arnulfo Maldonado for its crisp, commercial design.) Artney has worked on the call desk of retention sales for 25 years, which is about the same time he’s been a single parent for his schizophrenic son, Artney Jr., who works for the company, too. Artney Jr.’s announcement that he’s moving out from dad’s place comes at a bad time: Artney’s taken a big step and applied for a management job. What happens to Artney and his son, and how three co-workers and Artney’s boss are involved, plays out in a tightly crafted, intermissionless, five-scene (representing Monday through Friday), 90 minutes that is perfectly character-driven.
Have I mentioned that playwright Tyler and all his characters are African-American? I wouldn’t because Tyler’s tale has universal truth, but it also addresses truths unique to the African-American experience. In contrast to the hard-edged dramatic tack on INTER-racial (emphasis added) working-class Americans that dramatist Lynn Nottage took in her Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Sweat,” Tyler’s route is comedy. Tyler’s ethnic dialogue is funny and quick, but Tyler doesn’t shy away from INTRA-racial working-class tension. Is the boss Black enough? (She’s married to a white guy but some coworker’s attitude shifts when it’s learned he’s Mexican.) Tyler also keenly observes class, foreign-origin and educational biases among Blacks. His view is so socially astute, he incorporates subplots on DREAMers and, without sermonizing, health insurance.
All of which might make “Artney Jackson” sound more serious than how thoroughly entertaining it is. The cast is superb, led by the marvelous Ray Anthony Thomas (“Jitney” and “Between Riverside and Crazy”) in the title role. Single-named actor Portia is wonderful as Artney’s co-worker confidant, sassy and street-smart. She brings it home in a moving monologue late in the play about making ends meet. Alfie Fuller navigates a very tricky role as Artney’s female boss. (Tyler doesn’t ignore gender bias, too). Director Laura Savia cleverly paces the week’s events using a nifty prop device in scene shifts. The inter-scene soundtrack appropriately is Artney’s music from his younger days: Marvin Gaye; Earth, Wind & Fire; and great 1970s R&B.
In “Artney Jackson,” Tyler creates a world where dreams and the workday co-exist. Tyler’s Artney is the Everyman who combines modesty and courage. Whether Artney gets the better job or not seems a small issue; his humanity is huge.
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Artney Jackson plays on the Nikos Stage at Williams College’s ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance, 1000 Main St., Williamstown, Massachusetts, through Sunday, July 22. For tickets and information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar, go online to wtfestival.org or call the box office at (413) 458-3253.
Editor’s Note: The playwright James Anthony Tyler has a long association with Berkshire Playwrights Lab. His play, “Some Old Black Man,” was developed and brought to New York by BPL. On August 8, BPL will present a staged reading of Tyler’s newest play, “hop tha A” at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Mass.
