On Joe Turner's Come and Gone (April Montgomery)

The context of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone makes it very much what it is. Not knowing what the social norms were at the time of publishing and production in respect to the time the play actually happens, one can not have a true sense of what August Wilson is trying to accomplish with this play. The play itself was written in order to show a side of humanity that, for a very long time, was segregated from mainstream media and from life in general. Based in 1911, this play highlights a man and his family trying to do what so many other African-Americans did at that time. They had traveled to the North to escape the dangers of the South, after the imposition of the Jim Crow laws. In “Tomorrow Never Comes” by Mary Bogumil, she makes the point that understanding the time period of the play can help one understand the reasons behind some of the characters desire to “reconnect” with the world. This play was written in 1988, after segregation had ended at least 15 years prior. But even in the late 80’s many cultures around the world were still struggling with the apartheid and all that came with it. The even the US still had the segregation generation making things difficult for those concerned. This play was really meant to open eyes to a very personal struggle during a very difficult time in our country to help us understand the struggles of other cultures and communities around the world occurring in the present and future.

Written by April Montgomery February 27, 2007