BWW Reviews: FLY, GIRL! from Nashville's SistaStyle Productions

Actress-playwright-producer Mary McCallum gives an extraordinarily strong and vibrant performance as aviatrix Bessie Coleman in her self-written new historical drama, Fly, Girl!, now in its premiere production at Darkhorse Theatre, courtesy of SistaStyle Productions. With an outstanding supporting ensemble, all of whom are completely committed to both their roles and this important production, it is a sharply written and movingly acted new work - definitely one that deserves a broader audience beyond the confines of the Nashville stage.

Telling the amazing story of Bessie Coleman, the first African-American woman to hold a pilot's license and the first American of any race or gender to hold an international pilot's license, the subject matter couldn't be richer or more intriguing. Thankfully, McCallum has crafted a well-written treatise on Coleman's life, examining this courageous and ambitious woman's role in aviation history set against the turbulent times of America in the early part of the 20^th Century - a time when ambition and courage were needed simply to live as an African-American, much less to aspire to greatness.

We first meet Bessie Coleman at 10-years-old (played by Jordyn Tucker, one of the most promising young actresses to be seen on a local stage) picking cotton to help her family eke out a meager subsistance in rural Texas, while dreaming of flights of fancy and aspiring to greatness. As young Bessie tells her loving mother, Susan (winningly portrayed by Shelena Walden), she longs "to be somebody," to become a racehorse instead of the mule society expects her to be, the seeds of her future are planted, as she marvels at news that the Wright Brothers have built a flying machine.

As Bessie's dreams soars and she grows to womanhood, McCallum takes over the character, taking the capable and intelligent Bessie to Chicago where she furthers her ambitions to be somebody by becoming a successful manicurist, with her own beauty shop, enabling other family members (including her beloved mother) to make the trek northward in search of economic stability.

It is in Chicago that Bessie meets Jesse (David Chattam in a richly nuanced performance to be savored), a man "with a good heart," a mentally ill wife and a sketchy reputation. As he and Bessie become "good friends," as she describes it, and as people in the community gossips about their relationship, Bessie continues to nurture her dreams of flying - dreams that ultimately take her to France where, in the aftermath of The Great War, she finally becomes a pilot, returning to America amid much fanfare only to discover that the role of the African-American is virtually the same despite the changes wrought by the first World War.

While Bessie's story is splendidly unique, her struggles to "be somebody" at a time of Jim Crow laws, segregation, prejudice and bigotry, makes the tale of her life a universal one that is inspirational in its breadth. Yet, what's truly amazing about the story of Bessie Coleman is that it remains virtually unknown to the majority of Americans.

(Interestingly, only a week earlier the national touring company of the Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone held sway at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, featuring a character - an African-American aviatrix name Trix - in the fictional musical at its center. Could Bessie Coleman have been the inspiration for that character? Probably; the musical is set in 1928, at the same time Bessie Coleman was at the zenith of her fame.)

McCallum's work is obviously well-researched and her affection for her heroine is evident throughout. While the play's subject matter is compelling, it is McCallum's dialogue for her characters that is most richly etched in this production. The interaction of her characters is genuine and real, without any superfluous exposition.

Directed competently by Nashville stage veteran Barry Scott, one of the most experienced theatre directors to be found, Fly, Girl! is evocatively mounted, although it could really soar if the project were approached more creatively. For example, when Bessie talks about her love of flying, McCallum completely engages her audience with her warmth and enthusiasm, but staging those moments more imaginatively to give the audience a more visceral experience would have added greatly to the play's impact.

One element that works - and clearly something the audience would have enjoyed seeing more of and the play could have benefitted from - occurred when Bessie sent her mother a telegram: McCallum is framed by a spotlight, reading the missive to her mother, giving a moving and very effective glimpse into her heroine's heart. In fact, the play's final scene would would have been more moving and much more challenging if we'd heard McCallum as Bessie, recounting the impact Coleman's life has had on the history of aviation in this country, in general, and upon the role of African-Americans in aviation, in particular. Certainly, it might seem didactic and pedantic, but with McCallum's immense charm and her respect for Bessie Coleman, it more likely would send audience emotions overflowing.

McCallum's completely confident portrayal of Bessie is heartfelt and admirable, embued with warmth and respect. She is given exceptionally strong support by her co-stars, including the aforementioned Tucker, Walden and Chattam. The chemistry among the cast members is palpable, thus allowing audience members an intimate view into Coleman's life. Rodrikus Springfield and Tamiko Robinson (as Bessie's brother Walter and his wife, Willie) are wonderful in their roles, displaying an easy charm and true-to-life emotions. Molly Breen makes the most of her brief role as Bessie's Russian-born, wingwalking friend.

Shawn Whitsell, as Bessie's troubled brother John, gives a multi-faceted performance that underscores McCallum's words with the integrity of his intelligently artful delivery. And, as a lagniappe for attentive audience members, the always luminous Alicia Haymer makes a one-weekend appearance as a woman who stops by, ostensibly, for a manicure but who plays a pivotal role in the action of the first act.

Fly, Girl! Written by Mary McCallum. Directed by Barry Scott. Presented by SistaStyle Productions at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville. Through February 21. For reservations and group rates, call (615) 476-6430. For further information about the company, visit the website at www.sistastyle.net.

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