The Sutherland
The Sutherland was developed and produced by Victory Gardens
Theater in Chicago in 1997. The world premiere production of
the play, which is loosely based upon the life of Chicago jazz
trumpeter Malachi Thompson, featured music composed and performed
live by Malachi Thompson.
A promising young musician, Eugene Taylor, comes of age in the
midst of Chicago's Southside jazz scene of the 1950's with musical
royalty Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane as his
role models. Having embarked on a six month European tour, he
returns 15 years later after being seduced by the European's
appreciation of jazz and the love of a Viennese woman. While
abroad he hears of the race riots of the sixties, but not until
he returns does he witnesses the devastating results; the black
flight to the suburbs and the decline of the inner city neighborhood
which was once his home.
In a move to resolve both his absence and his current existence,
Eugene goes on a crusade to save the Sutherland Show Lounge,
once a mecca of Chicago's south side jazz scene.
The Sutherland is available through Samuel
French, Inc.
Original first drafts, intermediate drafts, final and/or published
drafts of this play are part of the DePaul University Library’s
Special Collections Archives Division, 2000.
Production Requirements:
Cast requirements: 4 men, 2 women
Set requirements: Unit Set, various locations.
Approximate running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Production History:
• Kansas State University, university production, 1998
• Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago, featuring live music by composer
and Jazz trumpeter Malachi Thompson, 1997
-Awarded the Scai Jaaz Legacy Award, 1999
-Awarded the 1997 Illinois Arts Council Governor’s Award
for the Arts, New Plays Competition
-Nominated for a 1997 Joseph Jefferson Award for New Work
-Nominated for a 1997 Black Theater Alliance Award for New Work |
