Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Round House Theatre
Jordan Wright
September 21, 2026
Nicole Michelle Haskins (Ma Rainey) in August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at Round House Theatre (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
In a collaboration with Olney Theatre Center, Round House Theatre gives us Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, an August Wilson play with music set in the 1920’s. All of Wilson’s ten-play “Pittsburgh Cycle” should be compulsory viewing. This one tells the story of the hot-tempered Blues singer Ma Rainey, whose career was driven by American audiences love of Black music.
The story takes us into a recording studio session with Ma’s talent agent Irvin, the studio owner Sturdyvant, her backup musicians trumpeter Levee, bassist Slow Drag, pianist Toledo, and trombonist Cutler. As the musicians wait for her to show up, they begin to rehearse. But things go downhill quickly as they swap tales and accusations – fighting over which arrangement of her “Moonshine Blues” they can agree on. Will it be Levee’s version, the young hot-headed trumpeter who threatens to leave the band based on a recording offer from Sturdyvant? Or the arrangement they already know and which Cutler, the cool-headed leader of the group insists on? Toledo, the intellectual and book-smart philosopher of the group, tries to settle it. They get on to swapping tales and regaling each other with their personal struggles while awaiting Ma’s appearance for her decision.
The three-level stage has a winding staircase up to the engineer’s space, the main floor, and the musicians gathered in the basement placed center stage. Meanwhile Irvin is racing up and down the staircase trying to placate everyone when Ma finally arrives with her female lover, Dussie Mae, a hot little vixen who apparently swings both ways, and her nephew, Sylvester, who is a stutterer and who Ma declares will announce the band on the recording. This provides quite a bit of comic relief though it wouldn’t be politically correct these days. Ma’s insistence that Sylvester do the announcing freaks out Irv and the band. Spoiler Alert: After much groaning and protesting by everyone but Ma, he finally nails it.
Yao Dogbe (Levee), Craig Wallace (Cutler), Ro Boddie (Toledo), Derrick Truby (Slow Drag) (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
The play showcases more than just a story of a moment in time at a recording session. It’s so much more with Ma’s deep bluesy voice, Levee’s extraordinary physicality and Dussie Mae’s adorable sexuality. Comedy and insight blend seamlessly amid the jive-talking, reefer-toking and raw emotional vulnerability as each character reveals themselves.
This play + music stars Nicole Michelle Haskins as Ma and ohmygod she is phenomenal. Big, brash and brassy she belts out the Blues like nobody’s business, owning the stage like the diva she plays. She is riveting, but so is the rest of the cast with beloved DC-based actors Craig Wallace as Cutler, Ro Boddie as Toledo, Yao Dogbe as Levee, Derrick Truby as Slow Drag, Chris Genebach as Sturdyvant, Jaylen Henderson as Sylvester, Michael Glenn as Irvin, Kanysha Williams as Dussie Mae, and Zach Brewster-Geisz as Policemen – all of whom you have seen in the area’s best theaters, many of them multi-award winners.
I loved seeing the crème de la crème of our leading local actors gel with each other in one perfect cast and the sleight of hand it took Director Lili-Anne Brown to pull it off so smoothly. Huge credit to Casting Director Sarah Cooney for assembling a cast who perform with fierceness and heart.
Nicole Michelle Haskins (Ma Rainey), Kanysha Williams (Dussie Mae), Yao Dogbe (Levee) (Photo/Teresa Castracane).
Music Director, Cedric D. Lyles; Scenic Designer, Arnel Sancianco; 1920’s period Costume Designer, Samantha Jones; Lighting Designer, Minjoo Kim; Sound Designer, Kevin Lee Alexander; Wig and Makeup Designer, Lashawn Melton; and Dramaturg, Naysan Mojgani.
Never ever miss the experience of a well-produced August Wilson play and this one is a sizzling hot hit!
Through October 18th at Round House Theatre, 4545 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD. 20814. www.RoundHouseTheatre.org. Currently tickets are only available by calling the Box Office at 240.664.1100