Thomasville, a cozy and lovely city in deep South Georgia, has resisted cultural homogenization, retaining it’s charm and character. Isolated from Interstate highways, it’s a good long drive from Atlanta but one well worth the effort. Victorian homes surround a downtown of bricked streets, sidewalks with park benches, coffee shops, a major independent book store and critically acclaimed restaurants like Liam’s, Jonah’s and Sweet Grass.
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| David Thomas |
Large plantations including Pebble Hill, a popular tourist attraction, fill the countryside. Jackie Kennedy took refuge in one of them after her husband’s assassination. Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, is the nearest big city, a short drive on US 319 south. In many ways, Thomasville is not only representative of the South but the South at its best.
Bailey White is a composite of the many parts of this area: accent, ancestry, education and experience. A highly gifted storyteller, her essays, books and NPR contributions earned a national following. Filled with humor, folksy but never condescending or cruel, her tales resonate with authenticity that at times recall some of the works of Mark Twain.
“Mama Makes Up Her Mind,” is a natural for the stage. 20 stories by Ms. White are woven into 90 minutes with Mama, portrayed by Judy Leavell and daughter Bailey, performed by Karen Howell, set in their Thomasville home and neighborhood. Men come and go, but the two women stay put, grow old together while maintaining a ferocious loyalty to place and tradition. Eccentricities are the norm and Mama has a war chest full of them.
She’s a gardener with a keen eye for local flora and strange vegetation. An self-taught ornithologist who comfortably encounters an eagle mistaken for a buzzard, an accomplished “country” cook who can produce a meal from anything at hand and a woman who is comfortable but never intimidated by men. Mama displays great wisdom regarding the opposite sex and sees beneath the veneer of ego.
There are many scenes with third parties, mostly men, with each character brought to life by the amazing performance and equally amazing costumes presented by a very talented actor, Benny Higgins.
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| Bailey White |
That “Mama” on stage works such magic is a credit to the wonderful script composed by playwright David Thomas, who also directs the play. Thomas, a North Carolina native, is deeply steeped in live theater and has a masterful understanding of Southern culture and heritage. Thomas, one of the founders of Art Station in Stone Mountain Historic Village, also teaches drama to college classes and has been instrumental in launching the careers of many actors in the Atlanta region.
“Mama” confirms the literary treasure of Bailey White’s stories and the characters in them. The play delivers the universal value of family seamlessly. Once, William Faulkner was asked why he only wrote about the South? “It’s all I know,” he replied. We are products of our history and we embrace those good things which define us. Secure people are comfortable with their lives. Laughing at ourselves and our experiences are badges of strength.
Conquer the doldrums of winter. Make up your mind to see Mama.
Through Feb. 9
Tickets: (770) 469-1105
