Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s solo piece “Lackawanna Blues” is a love letter to the woman who raised him and the interesting characters he came across while living in Nanny’s boarding house.
I had the absolute privilege of meeting Santiago-Hudson during my summer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and apart from being genuinely talented he is also a humble, giving man who is incredibly kind. It’s easy to see why after learning about Rachel Crosby aka “Nanny” and the kind of person she was.
As a young child, Santiago-Hudson would be left alone by his mother in the room they lived in at Nanny’s boarding house. After finding him one day, Nanny takes on the responsibility of raising him.
Nanny was the kindest woman. She helped not only her boarders, but anyone in the community who needed it. Whether it was with cash, food, advice or anything else Nanny was there to provide. That isn’t to say she wasn’t tough or strict when she needed to be because she was.
She also wasn’t afraid to take those people in that other folks would turn a blind eye to. No one messed with Nanny and everyone respected her so much that they tried making decisions they knew wouldn’t disappoint her.
We see how much Santiago-Hudson loved her. The whole play itself demonstrates it, but we get a beautiful moment with a 10-year-old Santiago-Hudson telling Nanny he hopes he dies first because he doesn’t want to live in a world without her.
“Lackawanna Blues” also shows us snippets of some of the more interesting characters Santiago-Hudson met growing up.
There’s Lemuel Taylor a man with one leg and a tongue that constantly flicked in and out of his mouth that he and Nanny went to pick up from the mental hospital. There’s Numb Finger Pete who lost his fingers to frost bite after drunkenly falling asleep in the snow. Lemuel Taylor and Numb Finger Pete get into a fight at the boarding house and it was a sight to see.
Accompanying Santiago-Hudson’s stories is Junior Mack on guitar. The guitar enhances the stories and also assists Santiago-Hudson during the blues breaks between stories.
It’s fascinating to see Santiago-Hudson perform. The set is minimal with the facade of the boarding house behind the performers and a table and a few chairs. That’s all Santiago-Hudson needs. His performance is engaging and he’s clearly enjoying every moment of being on stage reliving these moments.
Nanny continues to live on through this story. I can’t think of anything better for her.
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