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BY LUCIA MAURO
Congo Square Theatre Company takes its multi-layered name from an expansive marketplace in New Orleans where African descendants sold produce and other goods. The land was considered sacred by the indigenous Indian tribes, who planted their corn harvests there. And the site set the stage for Sunday slave dances from the early 1800s up to the time of the Civil War. Congo Square is also considered the birthplace of jazz and what’s known as "the wicked down-home blues." The combination of beats and rhythms from African, Native American and European cultures developed into a uniquely American sound.
This powerful sense of cultural and artistic blending drives the aesthetic of Congo Square Theatre Company, dedicated to producing works rooted in African-American heritage, the entire African Diaspora and world cultures. Only one year old, the company–based in Union Park on the near West Side–has completed an acclaimed three-show inaugural season that inspired a few visits by playwright August Wilson.
"We wanted to set our bar high from the beginning," says co-founder/artistic director Derrick Sanders. "It’s always been about the craft and surrounding us with talented people. We took a year to research theatre in Chicago and get our business side right before we announced a season."
Individual donors helped the company get on its feet, and Congo Square promotes itself to potential corporate donors at its annual summer benefit, which they refer to as "a friend raiser." Sanders and co-founder/ensemble member Reginald Nelson met while pursuing their BFA degrees in theatre at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Sanders went on to receive his MFA from the University of Pittsburgh and Nelson got his MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
When the two decided they wanted to form a theatre troupe, they looked into Atlanta, New York and Washington, D.C. as possible bases. But they ultimately settled on Chicago after speaking with Goodman Theatre artistic associate Chuck Smith, who pointed out that Chicago is the only city with five professional African-American theatre companies: eta Creative Arts Foundation, Chicago Theatre Company, Black Ensemble Theatre, Onyx Theatre and M’PAACT.
"That let me know that Chicago was a theatre town," says Nelson, who was born on Chicago’s West Side but grew up in Milwaukee, Wisc.
"And we found that the city supports theatre," adds Sanders.
But the formation of the non-Equity Congo Square Theatre Company goes back to the co-founders’ academic years. At Howard University, in particular, they studied classic black playwrights from around the world and aimed to make these writers–spanning South Africa, the West Indies, Europe and the U.S.–the focus of Congo Square.
"Congo Square is basically a cultural mix," says Sanders.
Both men have participated in the International Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa and Nelson taught African-American theatre at the University of Durban-Westville, South Africa. Sanders met August Wilson at the Grahamstown summer arts festival in 1998. Wilson sat down and talked in-depth with Sanders about the idea for Congo Square Theatre Company and agreed to serve on the troupe’s advisory board.
Congo Square debuted with Wilson’s The Piano Lesson at Chicago Dramatists in the fall of 2000, and the playwright not only attended a performance but he also spoke to the audience after the show.
"August Wilson put the challenge to us to continue to do good work," says Sanders, "and asked the audience for its support only if we maintained our high standards. It’s our responsibility to live up to the level of August Wilson’s challenge."
Next, the company tackled Cheryl West’s AIDS-themed drama, Before It Hits Home (also at Chicago Dramatists), and concluded its inaugural season with The Island by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Studio Theatre. Wilson also attended a performance of The Island. And Congo Square recently reprised The Piano Lesson at Theatre on the Lake.
An actor-centered ensemble, Congo Square chooses works that challenge the troupe artistically while bringing urgent moral and social issues to the fore. A focus on the script and actors rather than on elaborate high-tech visuals is the company’s guiding force. The founders are also open to promoting original works. Javon Johnson, author of Hambone, which premiered at Victory Gardens, is Congo Square’s resident playwright.
The 2001-02 season, assembled by an ensemble-based selection committee, opens in November with the Chicago premiere of Ali by Geoffrey Ewing and Graydon Royce. The play is about the life of the legendary titular prize fighter (played by Johnson). It continues with Endesha Ida Holland’s From the Mississippi Delta, a showcase for the troupe’s women artists and Mustapha Matura’s Trinidad-set Playboy of the West Indies. All performances are at Chicago Dramatists.
Right now, Nelson says they are concentrating on putting a more comprehensive administrative structure in place. "In order to grow," he notes, "we have to find a strong administrator. We are currently looking to hire a managing director."
In addition, Congo Square conducts acting and writing classes for youth at Union Park. Its summer theatre camp is under way, and they attracted 20 students between the ages of six and 15.
"One of our goals is to build Congo Square into a year-round training facility," says Sanders.
Another goal is to start a new playwrights festival featuring work from the African Diaspora and other cultures. Looks like the diverse spirit of New Orleans’ Congo Square has been dynamically transplanted to Chicago.