Hope, Threatening to Go Up in ‘Smoke’

Elroyce D. Jones’ new drama, “A Thimble of Smoke,” is about a washerwoman in Mississippi during Jim Crow days who hopes her youngest daughter will get an education and a better life. This production at the 24th Street Theatre shows some promise, but Jones has crammed in too many story lines and characters to fully develop in 90 minutes.

Mark Worthington’s set stirs up an atmosphere of dust and dirt-poorness. A haze hangs over the ramshackle house as the audience enters. The wood is mismatched, weathered and unpainted. Two of the three poles supporting the corrugated metal roof over the porch have been haphazardly mended.

Thelma (Juanita Jennings) has pride in her appearance and, deserted long ago by her husband, she cares for her last child, 13-year-old Rosena (Amber Green).

Jones shows how economics drives the women’s need for men as one woman, Baby Tata (Roxanne Reese), accuses another, Shoo Baby (Pamala Tyson), of stealing her man. Both have houses filled with children and little money for food. Shoo Baby finds her own man (Roscoe C. Freeman) after an afternoon courtship.

Things happen too quickly. Anger is pacified. A stranger is courted by a woman and easily won over. A girl’s rape by her teacher is revealed and goes nowhere, and poor fortune is suddenly reversed.

One character, the Vegetable Man (Ellis E. Williams), makes a memorable entrance with his sing-song sales pitch only to be quickly dismissed, never to reappear.

Gregg Daniel’s direction develops each character from this lean script, but this doesn’t counteract the overall abruptness of the piece.

*

* “A Thimble of Smoke,” 24th Street Theatre, 1117 W. 24th St., downtown L.A. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 and 7 p.m. Ends Dec. 19. $15. (213) 745-6515. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.