In Joe Turner's Come and Gone, the second of August Wilson's 10 play Century Cycle, all the action occurs in a boarding house run by Seth Holly (Cedric the entertainer) and his wife Bertha (Taraji P.Henson in an excellent Broadway debut.)

The two serve as observers as occupants come and go. Set in 1911 in Pittsburgh, the boarding house Seth inherited from his father welcomes migrants coming from the South. All have a story to tell but when a mysterious stranger Herald Loomis (Joshua Boone) arrives with his young daughter Zonia, looking for his wife, the warm tone of the play shifts.

Dressed in black, Loomis is somber, taciturn and intimidating. Years before, Loomis was captured by Joe Turner, the brother of the governor, and forced into seven years of hard labor. When he was finally released, he returned home to find his wife gone, having left their daughter with her mother. His unrelenting mission is to find his wife.

Directed by Debbie Allen, the play combines realism with spiritualism in the form of Bynum Walker ( superb Ruben Santiago-Hudson.) At first, he appears to be an eccentric old man, dancing through Seth’s vegetable garden as he communicates with the pigeons. Yet, he’s the one who relates to people as a conjurer. Mattie Campbell (Nimene Sierra Wureh) comes to him, hoping he can use his conjuring to get her man back. Almost immediately, she takes up with another man, Jeremy ( Tripp Taylor), a young musician and moves into the boarding house with him. Yet shortly afterwards, attracted by the flashy Molly Cunningham ( Maya Boyd) he deserts her to go off with Molly.

When Loomis’ wife Martha (Abigail Onwunali delivering a dramatic performance ) finally appears, the play reaches its powerful climax. Her speech is impressive, allowing Loomis to finally find peace and resolution.

The engaging cast is excellent, including the youngest performers in the throes of first love. The performances are powerful and touching, even with the youngest among them, Zonia and a neighbor boy, in the throws of first love. The boarders make the story interesting as they come and go and we learn how their stories intersect. The characters are transient, moving on but often looking for someone or something. They are leaving the South and seeking salvation and new opportunities in the North. Yet Wilson suggests they can never leave the past behind them.