STAGE REVIEW : A Vision With ‘Spunk’ : Theater: Jazz-tinged blues is the tie that binds three stories of earthiness, humor and grit from Harlem to the rural South.

In a dream-like world suffused with the blues, “Spunk” plunges into the particularities of the black experience to tell three stories that are absolutely universal.

A hard-working washerwoman gets unexpected revenge on her abusive, philandering husband in “Sweat.” A young woman gives two swaggering Harlem pimps a comeuppance in “Story in Harlem Slang.” And a young husband and wife struggle to overcome the betrayal that nearly tears them apart in the best of the three--the tender, soaring “The Gilded Six-Bits.”

George C. Wolfe’s 1989 adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s “Spunk,” now in its San Diego premiere at the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s Lyceum Stage, captures the earthiness, the humor and the grit of her vision of survival against all odds.

Thomas W. Jones’ direction realizes the poetry inherent in the material, seamlessly fusing jazz-tinged blues exquisitely sung by Ren Woods (who doubles as narrator and some of the characters in the stories) with choreography that crackles with emotion.

The only flaw in this intoxicating season opener for the Rep is that not enough care is taken with the language. Words are dropped and rural Southern dialect and Harlem slang difficulties are hurried through, making it difficult for ears unaccustomed to the nuances to mine all the meanings.

Still, the six performers who tell the tales never falter in their graceful and impassioned realization of emotional truth. April Grace eloquently transforms herself from the battered washerwoman in the first piece to the sassy young girl in the second and the foolish young wife in the third.

Brian Evaret Chandler brings home the dignity and raw pain of the young husband in the third piece, ably acquitting himself in supporting roles in the first two stories. Tom Byrd brings a ragged edge of danger to his role as Sweet Back, the hardened Harlem pimp to Osayande Baruti’s slightly more vulnerable pimp, Jelly.

But what really helps tie these disparate stories together--besides the same actors--is the music composed by Chic Street Man, performed by Kevin Moore as the frequently on-stage Guitar Man, and Woods as the on-stage Blues Speak Woman and narrator. At times, it feels as if the two are conjuring up the vignettes in “Spunk” through the sheer fervor of the music. And yet, self-deprecating humor is never far from these blues.

The San Diego Rep has done itself proud with the authenticity of this show, which was produced in New York in 1990 and L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum in 1991. Care was clearly taken down to the last detail.

The spotlight stays on the performers thanks to the simplicity of Victoria Petrovich’s set--a few suspended wood pieces before a large bare screen against which Ashley York Kennedy makes lighting magic. Mary Larson’s costumes, which help transform the actors into their different parts, are suggestive of the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s when the stories were written and yet allow for the show’s balletic dancing. Jeff Ladman’s sound design is a reminder of place: When the crickets chirp outside the washerwoman’s window, we know exactly where we are.

The San Diego Rep has promised a season of cultural diversity for the 1992-93 season, featuring works by an Asian-American artist, Latino artists, a bilingual production and a Jewish classic. The integrity and truthfulness of the company’s approach to “Spunk” augurs well for the rest of the season.

“SPUNK”

Adapted by George C. Wolfe from stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Director is Thomas W. Jones. Sets by Victoria Petrovich. Costumes by Mary Larson. Lighting by Ashley York Kennedy. Sound by Jeff Ladman. Musical direction by Kevin Moore. Stage manager is Susan A. Virgilio. With Osayande Baruti, Tom Byrd, Brian Evaret Chandler, April Grace, Kevin Moore and Ren Woods. At 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays with Sunday matinees at 2 and a Wednesday Oct. 28 performance at 2. Ends Oct. 31. Tickets are $21-$24 depending on day and time of performance. At the Lyceum Stage, 79 Horton Plaza, 235-8025.