While the “Mother of Blues,” never got a chance to fully receive her flowers due to racism and sexism of the early 20th century, Black women are leading the charge on and off stage in the regional co-production of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (1982), taking over the Round House Theatre stage in Bethesda, Maryland Sept. 9-Oct. 11.
Round House Theatre, which marks its 50th anniversary in the 2026-2027 season, is co-producing Wilson’s soul-stirring drama along with Olney Theatre Center, under the direction of Helen Hayes Award-winner Lili-Anne Browne, who previously directed another the arts venues’ co-production of “FELA!” in 2023.
Brown joins a small but powerful cadre of women to direct works by the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, whose production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” premiered on Broadway in 1984 to widespread critical acclaim.
“I never thought I’d be granted access but now that I have, I’m doing what I have always done,” Brown told The Washington Informer. “That means reading and re-reading the play, working long hours with the dramaturg, conferring with the set designer, and doing additional research as needed.”
The director has been a lifelong hard worker.
“I excelled in math and science in high school and my parents expected me to go into law or medicine,” said Brown, recalling how she began to experience burnout as she approached her senior year. “A summer camp at Northwestern changed my life forever. I wanted to have fun and so instead of engineering, I enrolled in a program for actors, ‘A Day in the Life of a Theater Cherub.’”
While camp was a way to clear her mind from the stress she was encountering in her academic pursuits, she realized theatre was just another grind, requiring effort and dedication.
“It challenged me in ways I did not expect – it was hard work. It was challenging and I soon realized that I had a lot to learn,” she said. “But I loved it. I still love it.”
Now, Brown has had a successful career in theatre, dedicated to not only revealing truths and entertaining, but honoring the stories and legacies of artists who have paved the way for her own work— as seen in her direction of “Fela!” and the upcoming production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
“There’s a well-worn phrase in Black culture: ‘they want our rhythm, but not our blues.’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ is an elegant exploration of this sentiment,” Brown said in a statement when the show was first announced. “Wilson’s writing is musical, deeply human and painfully relevant. It asks us to interrogate who gets valued, who gets to profit, and what is lost when dreams are repeatedly deferred.”
The award-winning director has intentionally gathered a cast and crew of artists to bring Wilson’s work to audiences across the greater Washington region.
In selecting her cast, Brown sought out several local DMV actors with deep ties to the local regional theater community, including Ro Boddie (Toledo), Craig Wallace (Cutler), Chris Genebach (Sturdyvant), and Kanysha Williams (Dussie Mae), a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and George Mason University.
Audiences should also look out for Yao Dogbe, who follows in the footsteps of actors like Charles S. Dutton, who starred as Levee in the original 1984 Broadway production, and Chadwick Boseman, who dominated the screen in the same role for the 2020 Netflix adaptation.
“Directing this play at Round House is an opportunity to honor the legacy of so many iconic yet unsung creators of American music,” Brown said, “while inviting audiences into a conversation that remains urgently important today.”
Honoring the Work of August Wilson
Born in 1945, Wilson was a high school dropout who left school after being falsely charged with plagiarism.
He grew up in the economically depressed Hill District area of Pittsburgh, which serves as the setting for nine of the 10 plays in his cycle, chronicling the 20th century African American experience. Each play is set in a different decade and have collectively become known as the American Century Cycle.
“Put them all together and you have a history,” Wilson said in November 2000, while delivering his keynote dedication speech when the Goodman Theatre in Chicago opened its new building and his play “King Hedley II” was also performed.
Wilson invited scholars, artists, and members of the media, including this writer, to the event, which would serve as one of his last visits to Chicago before his death in 2005.
During his address, Wilson shared the often-told story of how he learned his craft.
While he never formally studied theater, Wilson said he got his education from the four B’s: the blues, the art of painter Romare Bearden, the writing of poet Amiri Baraka and writer/poet Jorge Luis Borges.
“The foundation of my playwriting is poetry,” Wilson often said.
The blues certainly led the way for Wilson’s inspiration behind “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Those familiar with the play often point to actors like Theresa Merritt, who created the role of Ma Rainey in the Broadway debut. Later, Whoopi Goldberg picked up the mantle, as did E. Faye Butler, both in stage productions, and Viola Davis, who superbly handled the role in an adaptation for the Netflix film.
Naturally, the success of the production rests on the shoulders of the actor chosen for the title lead, Nicole Michelle Haskins, who is making her Round House Theatre debut.
“It may sound strange, but I’ve never seen the play. so, I had a lot to learn,” Haskins said. “I never imagined that I would be chosen for a role like this because as a musical theater student, the consensus was we weren’t capable or good enough to handle such demanding roles. I internalized that until age and experience opened my eyes.”
Now, the actress is excited for opening night.
“I’m comfortable portraying Ma Rainey. I love that she’s so physical, powerful, demands attention, and has a voice that’s simply unbelievable. August Wilson incorporates music and dialogue seamlessly and which collectively ebb and flow with brilliance.”
‘Fiercely Independent’: Uplifting the Memory of Ma Rainey
Haskins said she’s developed a greater appreciation for women like Ma Rainey, who, despite her amazing talent, was never allowed to fully flourish because of racism and exploitation.
“She was way ahead of her time, especially in the 1920s and 30s. Unfortunately, she paid the price as Wilson illustrates in this fantastic production,” she said. “Ma Rainey formed her own band, developed her own show, performed her own music, and was fiercely independent.”
A century later, Haskins is starring in a production on Ma Rainey’s life, directed by a Black woman, something Brown explained is beginning to become more commonplace in American theatre.
“It’s not as unusual as it once was and that’s good news,” Brown said.
Despite progress, the artists working on this production are highly aware that there’s still work to be done to combat racism, sexism and other biases in 2026.
“Some things never change even though I still hope that one day they will,” Haskins told The Washington Informer. “Our artistry has long been coveted but not our skin color.”
For tickets or more information, including on the special Black Out performance on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m., call (240) 644-1100 or visit RoundHouseTheatre.org.
