Aya Wallace's Portrayal of Wiletta Mayer
Is a Highlight of RLT's Trouble in Mind

Trouble in Mind stars (from left) Terri Crymes as Millie Davis, Andrew Carlile as Eddie Fenton, Emily Spain as Judy Sears,
Kelly Lumpkin as Eddie Forrester, David Keats as Al Manners, and Aya Wallace as Wiletta Mayer (photo by Doug Wood)

Alice Childress' Trouble in Mind, which premiered in November of 1955, was awarded a 1956 Obie Award for best original Off-Broadway production. (Indeed, Childress was the first African-American woman to win an Obie.) Raleigh Little Theatre's production of this comedy-drama, directed by Kenneth Hinton is playing through Sunday, March 31st, in RLT's Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre.

Note to those familiar with the venue: This is the first time that I have ever seen the "The Gaddy" rearranged to create a proscenium stage; doing so was necessary because the action of this play takes place on such a stage.

The Play:

Trouble in Mind is a play about the friction encountered during rehearsal for the production of the fictitious Broadway play Chaos in Belleville. This would-be play-within-the-play is about a racially charged series of events in the Jim Crow South, events that culminate in a lynching. We enter the world of Trouble in Mind as the first rehearsal is about to begin, and we leave this world with doubts about the future of their production of Chaos in Belleville.

Will all of the cast members be retained? For that matter, will the play actually be produced?

In the interim, we meet a delightful cross-section of African-American actors and learn about their uphill struggles to succeed; and we gain insights into their various strategies for dealing with the stark realities of 1950s America and its theater industry. These actors must "act" in real life as well as on stage.

We also meet the less-than-perfectly-polite, definitely unenlightened director, along with his right-hand man and the theater's older, delightful Irish-American doorkeeper/go-fer.

The script delivers a plethora of comedy, as well as touching moments and social commentary. Some of the richest comic moments emerge as these actors assume their roles while rehearsing the play-within-the-play. Interestingly, some of the sharpest social criticism emerges at comic moments.

The Acting:

This cast of nine "plays well together" as an ensemble. As each character comes on stage they "find their niche," fitting (while not necessarily comfortably) like-a-glove into the social dynamic with its hierarchies and pecking-orders.

The central character is Wiletta Mayer, who is an experienced actor; however, this will be her first role in a Broadway show. We learn that Wiletta has made a career of "doing what it takes" to succeed, and we see that she is willing to coach younger actors.

It occurs to me that director Ken Hinton's choice to cast Aya Wallace in this role was nothing short of brilliant. She adeptly portrays the character's savvy of theater politics as well as her "mother hen" approach to the less experienced actors.

But it's Wallace's voice (when her character sings) that seals the deal. (I found myself wondering at one point if she might actually be channeling Tina Turner.)

Equally well-cast is Terri Crymes as Millie Davis. Crymes has included in her "Millie recipe" just the right measure of what we refer to as "attitude" and the necessary good sense to recognize when to exercise control and when to give it free rein. Crymes and Wallace, among other things, play the duo's good-natured banter quite well.

Anyone who has ever met a full-of-himself, "my-way-is-best" director (who is earnest to the point of parodying himself) will delight in David Keats' Al Manners. This character pays lip-service to a demand for "honesty" from the actors but balks when they honestly deliver, and Keats leaves no doubt about the character's complete lack of self-awareness.

Kelly Lumpkin is on-the-mark as the quick-witted and clear-headed Sheldon Forrestor. And he gives a glimpse of the character's soul when Forester relates a tragic tale from his past.

Emily Spain, who plays Judy Sears (a young white actress from an affluent family), very "eptly" establishes her character's ineptness in this social dynamic.

Dexter Palmer makes his John Nevins sympathetic as the character strives to fit in and responds to the others' advice, observations, and examples.

Tom Normanly is entertaining as Henry, establishing his character's age and his Irish-ness without ever slipping into caricature.

Kevin Burke's Bill O'Wray (the older, white, seasoned actor) and Andrew Carlile's Eddie Fenton (stage manager and "director's go-fer") round out the cast.

Aya Wallace stars as Wiletta Mayer in Trouble in Mind (photo by Doug Wood)

The Tech:

Costume designer Jenny Mitchell is, as always, on point with setting-appropriate and character-specific clothing for these characters. Especially impressive: the contrast between the outfits sported by Millie and Wiletta.

It comes as no surprise that (as familiar as he is with actual, real-life stages) scenic designer Derrick Ivey has created a perfect facsimile for early rehearsals of the play-within-the-play.

Lighting design by Cory Arnold catches the changes in moods, and sound design by John Maruca adds to the verisimilitude.

Props design by Bri Flynn and the stage management skills of Chris Berg complete the package.

Nice Touches:

• The simultaneous conversations that, while seeming to "step on each other," manage to convey the important information of both.
• The appearance of a whiskey flask at a comically key moment.
• Uses of the center-stage platform in the second act.
• Uses of follow-spot lighting.

Memorable Lines:

• "That ain't [Uncle] Tom-in'; that's common sense."
• "If I'm a 'Tom,' you're a 'Jemima.'"
• "Yeah! That 'brotherhood of man' stuff."
• "I ain't gonna die -- I couldn't afford it."
• "I'm full. And my cup runneth over."
• "You can't spit in somebody's eye and tell 'em you washin' it."
• "Tomorrow is another day!" (Ironically poignant because it's borrowed from Gone with the Wind).

From the Department of Picky-Picky
(and Both of These Are Very Picky):

• 1950s newspapers would have been printed on the older, wider newsprint.
• 1950s women's stockings would probably have had back-seams.

The Bottom Line:

I recommend seeing Trouble in Mind for a plethora of individual reasons. Chief among them:

• It sets the mirror up to nature, informing and entertaining at the same time.
• This play is firmly rooted in the 1950s theater scene, but it is just as relevant today.
• The 1950s jokes are still funny, and the 1950s truths are just as true.
• You ought not miss the chance to meet these characters, especially Wiletta Mayer, and you definitely want to hear her sing.

Once again, the show plays through Sunday, March 31st, at Raleigh Little Theatre, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

Run time is 2½ hours, with a 15-minute intermission.

Raleigh Little Theatre's production of Trouble in Mind stars (from left) Aya Wallace as Wiletta Mayer, Terri Crymes
as Millie Davis, Andrew Carlile as Eddie Fenton, and Emily Spain as Judy Sears (photo by Doug Wood)

Alice Childress' TROUBLE IN MIND (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 21-24 and 28-31), directed by Kenneth Hinton and starring Aya Wallace as Wiletta Mayer, Terri Crymes as Millie Davis, Tom Normanly as Henry, David Keats as Al Manners, Emily Spain as Judy Sears, Kelly Lumpkin as Sheldon Forrestor, Andrew Carlile as Eddie Fenton, Kevin Burke as Bill O'Wray, Dexter Palmer as John Nevins (Raleigh Little Theatre in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre in Raleigh). RLT VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/user/raleighlittletheatre. PRESENTER/VENUE: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/, https://www.facebook.com/RLT1936, https://www.instagram.com/RLT1936/, https://twitter.com/RLT1936, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Little_Theatre, and https://www.youtube.com/user/raleighlittletheatre. 2023-24 SEASON: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/shows-and-events/. RLT PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/rltpodcast. SEATING CHARTS: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/visit-us/seating-charts/. DIRECTIONS: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/visit-us/. MAPS/PARKING/TRANSIT: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/visit-us/maps-and-parking/. ACCESSIBILITY: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/visit-us/accessibility/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://raleighlittletheatre.org/reopening-rlt/. TROUBLE IN MIND (1955 Off-Broadway, 2021 Broadway, and 2021 West End Dramatic Comedy): https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/94945/trouble-in-mind, https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/trouble-mind, http://www.iobdb.com/Production/6952, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/trouble-in-mind-531463, , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_in_Mind_(play). THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. ALICE CHILDRESS (Charleston, SC-born playwright and novelist, nee Alice Herndon, 1916-94): https://web.archive.org/web/20060210232809/http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~cybers/childress2.html, https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/1387/alice-childress, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/alice-childress-81710, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/21465, , and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Childress. NOTE 1: All shows are wheelchair accessible, and assistive-listening devices are available for all shows. NOTE 2: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe the show's 8 p.m. Thursday, March 21st, performance. NOTE 3: There will be a post-show discussion, starting at 5:30 p.m. and moderated by assistant director Andre Minkins, after the 3 p.m. Sunday, March 24th, performance. TICKETS: $29 ($25 students through college and seniors 62+), plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-821-3111 or BoxOffice@RaleighLittleTheatre.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: Raleigh Little Theatre.

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