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Articles
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Seven GuitarsPart of The August Wilson Century CycleDateline: 30th April, 2008This volume is graced by a lengthy introduction from Tony Kushner, who puts not only the play but also the works of August Wilson into a historical context. The focus of Seven Guitars is ostensibly on the happy-go-lucky Floyd, a penniless musician, who despite a hit record cannot get his electric guitar out of hock. It might usually be regarded as giving the game away to say that Floyd is killed in the final scene, but since the play starts immediately after his funeral, we always know that we are tracking back to this point, which adds spice to all that takes place in between. We have now almost reached the halfway point in the 20th century but although only three years have gone by since the end of World War II, for these Pittsburgh inhabitants it is almost as if it never happened. Their concerns and problems have not changed all that drastically in the two generations from the start of this cycle. They still have to put up with being third class citizens who struggle to find work or money. What they have in abundance is life and humour, but that is not enough for those who want to emulate their wealthy White counterparts just up the road. Floyd is a characteristic Wilson creation, a talented musician who loves women and is desperate for money. He has already made one successful trip to Chicago and his hit song plays on his city's radios but it is his White manager who gets rich. He and his friends play cards and chatter in the backyard and dream of future success, while cooking up plans for making money. The feisty women both support and laugh at these men, although like Vera they are torn between love and justifiable distrust. Perhaps the most colourful resident is Hedley, a dying man who once killed to protect his first name, King. He is bordering on madness but has absolute faith that wealth is just around the corner. In the meantime, he demonstrates deep knowledge of his people's history but also kills chickens and makes them into sandwiches to create a relatively opulent living. More surprisingly, Hedley gets a night of pleasure with Ruby, the kind of girl who turns every man's head and it seems a fair bet that the baby that she is carrying will ultimately be a boy who grows up to take the lead in the ninth play in the series, King Hedley II. This may not be the very best play in the cycle but the richness of its characters and their aspirations ensures that it is enjoyable. Philip Fisher
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