Hardship, Hope Flow From the ‘Delta’

It’s little wonder Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland’s story proves so compelling in “From the Mississippi Delta” at the Fountain Theatre--she experienced the kind of dramas many playwrights work hard to fabricate.

Growing up a poor black woman in the rural South, Holland spent much of her youth in a downward spiral of sexual abuse, prostitution, petty theft and hopelessness. Yet Holland’s life proves an inspiring affirmation of resilience, perseverance and ultimate validation. Once the burgeoning civil rights movement steered her into social activism and opened the door to intellectual opportunities, she was able to hone her gift for storytelling into a powerful theatrical voice.

Holland’s keen eye for nuance and detail ranges from the engagingly comic (an eccentric neighbor superstitiously guarding the water meter outside her ramshackle house) to horrific anguish (recalling every detail of her descent down a staircase following her rape by a white man at age 11).

A good deal of the play’s success is due to Shirley Jo Finney’s inventive staging, which shapes true drama out of narrative. Using a trio of versatile actresses in multiple roles, the evening traces Holland’s evolution through a series of pivotal episodes. Athletic Juanita Jennings endures the most physically demanding portrayals (including a painfully realistic childbirth scene). Aloma Wright brings tremendous humor and dignity to Holland’s mother, a midwife who was murdered by Ku Klux Klansmen. Most of the exposition is eloquently handled by Bernadette L. Clarke.

Though engaging throughout, the piece has less continuity in the second half, where some key events are tantalizingly summarized or simply passed over. How did she first become involved in the civil rights movement? What made her decide to pursue a higher education? Paving the way for new installments, Holland has clearly taken a tip from vaudeville--always leave ‘em wanting more.

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* “From the Mississippi Delta,” Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7 p.m. Ends Nov. 15. $18-$22. (213) 663-1525. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes.