The past, present and future are wrapped up in the upcoming UMass Amherst Theater production of Aishah Rahman’s “Unfinished Women Cry in No Man’s Land While a Bird Dies in a Gilded Cage,” which opens on March 7 in the Curtain Theater at the Bromery Center for the Arts.

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Originally published in 1977, the play portrays a group of teenage mothers trying to decide whether or not to put their babies up for adoption while, in a room nearby, doomed genius saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker slowly dies. The author, Rahman, weaves spoken word and jazz music together in an intimate, emotional work described as an “underground classic” and provides the blueprint for theatrical jazz, an approach to theater-making that centers Black aesthetics and creativity. 

This play was co-produced in the UMass Amherst Theater Department with New WORLD Theater in 1987 as a part of a conference celebrating Black theater.  The play was originally proposed by professor Gilbert McCauley, who planned to direct. McCauley, who is also an accomplished actor, stepped into the titular role of Charlie Parker, with professor Judyie Al-Bilali taking on directing duties. 

Al-Bilali’s early training was in theatrical jazz and brings this form to a new generation of UMass Amherst theater students — who, in turn, are looking ahead to how they’ll make their mark on theater.  

“It helps us to look backwards to that earlier performance and to support Black theater now,” said the play’s dramaturg, Priscilla Maria Page. “This production affirms our commitment to the ongoing legacy of Black theater on our campus.”

Both for the theater makers and the audience, the presentation of this play is “beautiful and necessary,” Page added. 

Matinee and evening performances will take place March 7-13 in the Curtain Theater. Due to space limitations, early ticket purchases through the Fine Arts Center Box Office are encouraged for adults and children (recommended age 15 and older due to content). 

For more information, visit the College of Humanities and Fine Arts website.