MD THEATRE GUIDE

Theatre Review: ‘Gem of the Ocean’ at Arena Players

By Max Garner

Published April 10, 2024

“When the Baltimore August Wilson Celebration was announced last week, the project was already off to a head-start. Arena Players had already planned “Gem of the Ocean” for their 70th season. The production opened last weekend, and with it, the playwright’s Century Cycle revival in Baltimore is officially underway. Gem is a fitting start… the finest, most polished production we’ve seen at Arena Players in a long time.”

FUTURE PRESENTATION

Review: Arena Players’ ”Gem of the Ocean” Kicks off Baltimore’s August Wilson Celebration

By Patrick Regal

Published April 19, 2024

“A spiritual experience acted out by a hard-working ensemble, Gem of the Ocean is an essential piece of American theatre. At Arena Players, it’s mandatory viewing and an excellent kick-off to Baltimore’s August Wilson Celebration.“

DAN RODRICKS

Thank you, Arena Players, for an excellent ‘Gem of the Ocean,’ start of the August Wilson series

By Dan Rodricks

Published April 22, 2024

“The Arena production achieves all that Wilson might have wanted with this play — a powerful, at times humorous portrayal of Black life in Pittsburgh’s Hill District four decades after the Civil War…The Arena Players’ production honors this great playwright…The [Baltimore August Wilson Celebration] is a gift to all of us who love theater, and the premier production is superb.”