Jitney at Pasadena Playhouse

Attended Jitney on June 27, 2012. A little late with the review, but better than never, right?
Playwright August Wilson is someone that should be a household name, no matter the color of his, or our, skin. On Broadway 8 – 10 years ago, I saw another Wilson play, «Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom», which featured a great cast including Charles Dutton and Whoopi Goldberg.
Jitney was intelligent, real, and complex — and all dialogue. A wonderfully written play centered around a cab station in Pittsburgh, it was powerful, moving, entertaining, and had a tremendous depth of numerous characters that really captured my attention. I didn’t nap even once! It covered topics such as relationships, loss, fatherhead, youth, wisdom, and maturation. The entire cast in Jitney was no one that I knew or recognized, but all were truly phenomenal and gifted actors.
It was, however, a wee bit long (close to 2:45 mins). With a late start, 8pm, it would have been better to start at 7pm, like many other events I’ve attended here at the Pasadena Playhouse (I’m just saying…).
I’m very appreciative of the complimentary ticket, and thank you Playhouse, Katie and Stephanie… for yet another lovely evening.

This is the second time I’ve been to the playhouse. and I got almost the exact same seats. But this review isn’t for the play house, it’s for Jitney. I have to be honest, I didn’t enjoy Jitney all that much. The first half of the play I felt confused at what was going on. In the first two acts of the first half, I could see that they were setting us up for something that was going to happen later on, but it was very slow. I was struggling not to yawn during much of it.
I
n the third act, it just got very intense. No yawning happening during this act. I was captivated, but the scene felt very out of place. My +1 and I decided to leave then, as we didn’t see this play going anywhere that we were going to enjoy.

LOVE, you’re a tough nut to crack.
This play had so many great things going for it and I had a great time. I loved the setting, the drama, the actors, the humor, and the creativity. I’m all for family drama, human strength, surviving, and living.
But sometimes all the components don’t add up and though I liked the play, I just didn’t love it. Sometimes it’s hard to know why you love something and sometimes it’s hard to know why you don’t love something.
Though not for me, I think this play will get love from others. I love Pasadena Playhouse and would at least like to see anything they have at least once.
A night at the theatre is never a wasted night for me though.

As usual Katie B. and Stephanie C put together a great event, fun yet cultural:
Taking Unilocalers to the Pasadena Playhouse to see an outstanding off-​Broadway play: Jitney
For me, an OC sheltered, Pasadena sounds like a new and adventurous area :)
The part of Pasadena where the Playhouse is located is gorgeous, really nice architecture and that je né sais quoi that only time can give to a community.
Parking was easy $ 7. After parking we realized that 1 block away it was $ 5.
So if you happen to go there don’t be fooled by the first parking you see, go a little further.
After arriving and getting the tickets, we took advantage of the Tender Greens deal
After our happy and healthy dinner we went back to Pasadena Playhouse to see the play. My first impression was how beautiful venue is, not only talking from the aesthetic point of view but also the way it respects and integrates to the neighborhood.
Great atmosphere, comfortable seating and very professional sound and acoustic.
It was definitely a different experience!
Thank you Unilocal LA ladies :)

Good Job Katie!
I arrived at the place, found parking, walked in to the reception area, found the Unilocal intern, received my ticket and then walked in to watch the play.
It was fun. I never see plays. Kinda a new thing for me. I enjoyed the opportunity for a new experiance.
Kinda wish I’d been able to meet Katie though.

I thought this was a fantastic play. I loved the music that they incorporated between acts and I loved the discussions they had about race and wanting. The only problem I had was that it was hard to hear in the beginning and that it was difficult to figure out what they were saying at times. Once I was able to hear I thought it was a great play and lead to several thoughtul discussions about race with my guest.

Always a great evening with an event at the Pasadena Playhouse. First off, thank you Katie B and Stephanie C for the tickets and holding a great event.
Jitney is definitely a play that everyone can relate to from being a father, a son, a boyfriend, a friend, and an employee. So much emotions, hope, and jokes are intertwined in this play. The cast is really talented and all played an amazing role.
Great night, thank you!

Loved it! First off, thanks to the lovely ladies of UnilocalLA: Katie B. and Stephanie C.
I like watching plays, I really do. I think Pasadena Playhouse has got me hooked. I used to drive all the way down to San Diego’s Old Globe. It was my venue of choice. Pasadena Playhouse is slowly taking its place.
Jitney is something else and must be watched with an open-​mind and with the caution that it’s a period play. In case you couldn’t tell by the rotary phone and the way the casts were dressed, it is not, i repeat, NOT set in the current times. So yes, you’d hear the N-​word. It’s used very gratuitously here. So there’s your fair warning. I usually like to read about what I’m signing up for before I get tickets, didn’t quite do it on this one since it’s August Wilson. I just trusted that his play would deliver and it did. Cast is great and did justice to characters they are playing. I liked the small details in the stage set-​up, Becker’s Rules and the chalk board, even though I could barely read it from my seat.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank Katie B., Stephanie C., and Unilocal for their kindness and allowing Unilocalers to be able to attend such great events.
Playhouse never disappoints. You always discover extraordinary actors that you wouldn’t have known about before. Charlie Robinson who plays Becker was a knock-​out.
Jitney has many stories we all can relate to. From a son wanting to be like his dad and never getting his approval, to a husband trying to do right with his wife and giving her a life she can only dream of, to a man who never loved anyone else than someone he met 22 years before. This is full of stories that will touch your heart, all the while, having a light comedic touch.
Cool setting (the stage always appears larger than it is), cues, and props. My favorite transition is when Becker’s son lights up his cigarette in the dark, once lit, all the lights go on. Props to the stage crew.
I must be honest, in the beginning, I had a hard time understanding the dialogue between the characters. Ebonics, is it? Slowly, but surely, you’ll learn. You’s got to.

Thanks so much Katie B and Stephanie C for giving my son and I an opportunity to attend Jitney, we had a wonderful time.
and ummm how cute was the guy running the sound board??? We were seated right beside him.
I find that when attending plays there’s always something to appreciate about the different views and experiences you will have depending on where you are seated in the playhouse.
I found the first few minutes of Jitney a little bit hard to understand — I’m not sure if I needed to fall into the groove of things and the pace at which the characters were speaking or if it was more of a mic issue having to do with the volume at which the voices were projecting to the rear of the orchestra level, but I was a little bit like «what are the saying, what the heck is going on» then I quickly began to be able to understand them better and things were looking up.
I’d by lying if I said I was familiar with this series of plays prior to seeing this event listed on Unilocal but I was really happy to see an African American cast on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse — 5 STARS all the way for that alone.
I think Turnbo was certainly one of our most favorite characters. There were some scenes that I was laughing so hard and didn’t even know if they were meant to be as entertaining as we found them :)
We were seated by a great group of people, considerate and well mannered which is always nice when in the theater.
We arrived a couple minutes before 8P and didn’t score free residential parking but did pay $ 6 to park a couple blocks away. As always, I’d always recommend scoring free parking when able :)
A wee bit off the subject of the play itself but onto RSVPing for events I think it is most considerate to take a look at your schedule ahead of time and really make sure you are able to attend an event prior to securing tickets for yourself and a guest because I did notice that Stephanie had some extra tickets when we arrived just moments before the play began.
I had 2 new interns start at my office — from out of town– and I would have LOVED to bring them to this play but I did not feel it was fair to ask for more than the generous two tickets I was already being given, but upon seeing that there certainly may have been additional seats available I feel that if you RSVP and are a no show it’s not quite fair to others who may have been able to experience the play in your place. Just my two cents…
Can’t wait to attend another wonderful show at the Playhouse.

Jitney was such an exceptionally acted play.
First of all thank you to the Pasadena Playhouse for giving us Unilocalers an opportunity to see such an amazing play. Secondly, a huge thank you to Katie B. for organizing a nice performing arts outing for us Unilocalers and adding me to the list. Lastly, thank you to Stephanie C. for showing up on time and giving us the tickets. My seats were great.
I’d have to categorize Jitney at a tragicomedy. There are laughs throughout the play, mostly inspired by one of the characters who seems to gossip and meddle a lot. There is also a few tragic parts and some serious action. Jitney opened at the Pasadena Playhouse on July 24, 2012 and I feel really fortunate to see it a couple evenings later on June 27, 2012.
August Wilson’s Jitney is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1977 in a gypsy cab company. I won’t get into the details of the story, but you can google it or check out other reviews. The set was beautifully done and so realistic with an old sofa in tattered fabric that looked like it was from the 70’s, an old phone on the wall, antique coke machine behind the desk and the old wood burning fireplace in the other corner. The costumes were amazing too. Typical 70’s clothes with bright colors and extremely bold patterns and well fitted to the cast. I also loved all the music before the play began and in between scenes from the 70’s as well. The cast did a fantastic job as well. I felt like I was watching real events unfolding. I even got seriously startled a couple times from some of the fight scenes. Charlie Robinson played «Becker» who was the manager or owner of the Jitney car company. Montae Russell played «Booster», his son who was just released from prison. I think I recognized him from NBC’s ER. Kristy Johnson, who played «Rena», was amazing. Apparently, she has also acted in one of my favorite cancelled shows «House», but I don’t remember her unfortunately. There were six other incredible actors in the play, so I’ll just stop with those three, but they were all incredible.
The play is long, so I’d definitely recommend drinking a shot of espresso before and stretching your legs at the 15 minute intermission. I am really glad I had the opportunity to see it myself and I’d recommend that you go see it too if you get the chance. I did see some discounted tickets on Goldstar too if I am allowed to write that.

I love a night at the theater — thanks Katie B. — and the Pasadena Playhouse is one of my favorite venues. Not a bad seat in the house.
The characters were well delineated and the acting passionate. There was a dated quality to it, however. Especially the liberally tossed about ‘N-word’…but, it is what it is, and so it was written.

Thanks to Katie B I got a chance to watch Jitney for free I otherwise would have not got a chance to.
After briefly reading the synopsis, my expectations to this play was not very high. The synopsis basically is about a cab service company in what seems to be set in the 70’s and how it is working for Jitneys back then. Don’t so too interesting right? Wrong!
The cast is a very talented group peoples and had me totally sucked into the play. From the comedic jokes thrown in to the fight scenes that got me in aw, this play is sure delivers.

Can I have 4 Dollars? … Ring Ring Ring…“Car Service”. 1901 Mason street… Ok on our way… You better be ready. cause I ain’t wait.
Jitney was great! It was an amazing funny and sad story… I managed well to understand what were they saying somehow as they spoke very fast :)
Thanks To Unilocal… amazing vibe @Pasadena Playhouse. We got the best seats in theater… Thanks Katie B and Unilocal for a great Wednesday night!

First off, thanks to Katie B. for giving us Unilocalers access to the event. I had the pleasure of taking my mother who enjoyed it immensely!
I love the Pasadena Playhouse. They are always bringing new and non-​conventional plays to their theater.
Jitney gave you insight to the world that August Wilson grew up during 1970s Pittsburgh. The Jitney is a car service which is equivalent to Gypsy cabs that you see in New York! The play involves 6 central characters and we get to take a peak in their lives as they work for the Jitney car service. Each of the characters reminded me of someone I know in life which made it all the more realistic for me.
The play was amusing, sad and riveting. The ending was a bit predictable, however the story did leave me wondering what happened to the characters afterwards. I hope to be able to read and/​or all 7 of the plays that August Wilson wrote just to see how they flow. A wonderful play that runs through July 15^th. I highly recommend it!

Very entertaining play!
Love coming to this playhouse and even more when Katie B. has the hook up!
I have more comments about the people watching this play than the play itself. Interesting is what it is. If you are easily offended by the N-​word, probably shouldn’t watch this. It was written in a period where the N-​word was acceptable to be spoken like a regular word. You can still here it today but not as endearing as they used it in the play.
The casts did a great job. It was hard to understand in the beginning and my ears adjusted I guess.
As a parting note, just because it’s FREE doesn’t mean you have to sign up for it. There were many empty seats after intermission probably because people signed up without reading up on what they are signing up for.

Ring Ring Ring…“Car Service”
Jitney was great! It was funny and sad… all in all, very entertaining. Turnbo, you crack me up! Great casts, story and acting. I enjoyed it!
At times it was hard to understand what the actors were saying because they spoke too fast… maybe it was just me who thought that?
Love the Pasadena Playhouse. There’s not a bad seat in the house. Thanks again to Katie B and Unilocal for a fun Wednesday night! :)

I loved this production of August Wilson’s play Jitney. In high school we studied August Wilson and various African American playwrights so I was familiar with his work beforehand. I was excited when I heard that they were actually showing an all Afro-​Am play in Pasadena (not to say that Pasadena is racist or anything) just was excited. And it lived up to my expectations. I did think the production might of lost some of the struggle of being black in Pittsburg during the 70’s that is portrayed in the actual play but nonetheless it was still thought provoking. It really did put things into perspective for me seeing just how far we’ve come as a country in just 40 years. I’m sure certain cabs probably still refuse to drive to certain parts of the «hood» but I think we are miles away from the social injustices dramatized in this play
Overall I loved it!!!
Thanks Katie and thanks Stephanie

i took my mother to see august wilson’s ‘jitney’ at the pasadena playhouse (thanks to Unilocal and katie b.) and we both loved it! i’m so glad i had the opportunity to see this great production and also share some culture with my awesome mom.
i’ve been to the playhouse before:
but i continue to be pleasantly surprised by the high quality of programming that this theatre is presenting.
in case you aren’t familiar with the place black playwright august wilson holds in the american literary canon, he’s widely acclaimed for the pittsburgh cycle– a magnum opus of ten plays. each one is a period piece that explores the african american experience in the same pittsburgh neighborhood during different decades of the twentieth century. ‘jitney’ is the play set in the seventies and the story revolves around the lives of several employees of a car service located in a decaying neighborhood that is facing gentrification.
the staging was beautiful and the dramatic acting was superb– my mom and i left the theatre talking about how we really felt the lead character (becker, played by charlie robinson) nailed the role. neither of us were expecting the way the conclusion unfolded but we were completely engaged during the entire show and felt bad for the people who decided to leave at intermission– they sure missed out on a great second act.

I love a reason to see me some theatre and thanks to Unilocal I have been able to enjoy the Playhouse. The seats were great and the content was thought provoking. I was not familiar with August Wilson but after enjoying this I will now check out his other plays.
Thanks KT b