Jitney

The best of August Wilson's ten-play Century Cycle plays are both timeless and deeply rooted in time and place.

Set in 1977 Pittsburgh, "Jitney," the first of this cycle but the last to reach Broadway, definitely fits this bill. A gritty work set in a run-down, but oddly welcoming, livery car office in the city's Hill District, it's a fast-moving ensemble piece, brilliantly directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

It's hard to capture the '70s without elements of mockery, but everyone involved in "Jitney" has done an amazing job of observation. From Toni-Leslie James' costumes to David Gallo's single set (a once majestic corner storefront with peeling fleur-de-lis wall treatments, a Franklin stove, and high windows with a view of a Chevy Nova parked on the street outside), the look of this Manhattan Theater Club production is visually perfect, doing justice to a major play.

Wilson died in 2005 at just 60 years. With the award-season buzz surrounding Denzel Washington's film "Fences," now is the right time to discover or rediscover the works of one of the 20th Century's most ambitious, and arguably among its greatest, playwrights.

"Jitney's" plot involves the last days of a neighborhood car service, scheduled to be boarded up by the city, the often testy relationships of the various drivers and the reunion between the service's respected manager Becker (John Douglas Thompson) and his once-promising son Booster (Branden J. Dirden), returning after serving 20 years in prison for murder.

Most of this cast is excellent, giving full interpretations of Wilson's well-drawn characters. Appearing in a series of increasingly flashy period costumes (including a green denim pantsuit that looks like a Sears Toughskin special for tween-age boys), Harvy Blanks, who has appeared in all ten plays of Wilson's American Century Cycle, steals scenes but never chews the scenery as Shealy, a bookie who uses the office phone to take bets.

Among the other drivers, Michael Potts adds layers to the character of an unlikable shit-stirrer, Anthony Chisholm has a moving scene as an alcoholic former tailor, and Keith Randolph Smith is terrific as office peacemaker.

An experienced actor but not heavily exposed on Broadway, veteran John Douglas Thompson does great work as Becker. Andre Holland ("Moonlight") adds humor and nuance to the play's youngest character, Youngblood, working three jobs to buy a house for his girlfriend and son.

Carra Patterson is adequate in the underwritten role of Rena, Youngblood's girlfriend, and Branden J. Dirden seems miscast as Booster, giving the impression that he's been on sabbatical rather than in prison for half his life.

Written in 1982, "Jitney" is the first of a series of plays, each set in a particular decade of the 20th Century, including "The Piano Lesson" ('30s), 1991's "Two Trains Running" ('60s), and 1995's "Seven Guitars" ('40s), which became known as Wilson's "Century Cycle."

The scope and ambition of Wilson's cycle are inspiring, but for theater fans new to his work, don't let that keep you from seeing "Jitney" during its limited run. It's a perfect introduction.

Manhattan Theatre Club's production of August Wilson's "Jitney" runs through March 12 at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th Street, in New York. For tickets or information, call 212-239-6200 or visit http://jitneybroadway.com/about

This story is part of our special report: "Tony-Nominated Shows". Want to read more? Here's the full list.