Set in 1911, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone takes place in a Pittsburgh boarding house run by the steady Seth (Cedric “The Entertainer”) and the open-hearted Bertha Holly (Taraji P. Henson) — a refuge for Black travelers navigating the upheaval of the Great Migration. Among them is Herald Loomis, a man searching for his lost wife—and for the self he lost during seven years of illegal enslavement under Joe Turner. As old wounds surface and spiritual forces awaken, Loomis’s journey becomes a powerful quest for identity, belonging, and healing. Around him, others seek connection, purpose, and a future shaped by more than pain. Through poetic dialogue and deeply human characters, August Wilson crafts a story of resilience and rebirth. The second play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is a moving meditation on memory, community, and the enduring hope of freedom reclaimed.
By: August Wilson
Director: Debbie Allen
Cast list: Taraji P. Henson (as Bertha Holly), Cedric "The Entertainer" (as Seth Holly)
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