In the race for fame, when is the right time to pass the baton? Actress Anna Campbell (Charlayne Woodard) isn’t ready to give up the race; in fact, she’s determined to lap newcomer Precious “Pete” Watson (Olivia Washington), who is set to restage her controversial and career-making one-woman show, Naked Wilson, without Anna’s knowledge.
In Pearl Cleage’s Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, fame isn’t the only thing on the line, but the power of artistry itself. With the help of ghosts and friendships, Anna reckons with her legacy and when to let the next generation take the lead.
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Exit stage left? Not so fast
Anna and her manager, Betty Samson (Denise Burse), took a risk in the early years of their careers, putting on a one-woman show in which Anna performed monologues from the women in August Wilson’s plays—naked. Since then, they’ve been chasing the same invigorating feeling of doing something risky and artistically bold. When their producer and friend Kate Hughes (Deborah Joy Winans) invites them to a women’s theater festival in Atlanta for a restaging of the work, Anna’s replacement—a sex worker and aspiring performance artist with little knowledge of Wilson or the theater canon—puts a wrench in her plans for the final years of her artistry.
The work begins with an operatic soundscape that evolves into a song by rapper Sexyy Red. Director LaTanya Richardson Jackson pits the aesthetics of high- and low-brow artistry in her choices, manifesting the play’s struggle within the hotel environment designed by Beowulf Boritt. Even as Anna and Pete sit alone on the couch, their differing poise and vernacular make the tension palpable.
The writing is meditative, reflecting on generational approaches to artistry, but it stalls direct conflict between the characters. Ultimately, surprise subplots, including a fight with a producer and a thrown chair, pick up the slack, resolving loose threads and upholding the stakes. The show’s comedy has the sensibility and structure of a sitcom, even at the last line. While this humor adds layers to the characters, it often lands softly, lacking the high stakes that would give it weight.
As Anna realizes her time in the spotlight is up, she delivers a tear-jerking monologue in which she finally passes the baton. Despite the lapses in rhythm, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous is full of heart and heartbreak over the power of art.
Is ‘Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous’ worth seeing?
Strong performances and a tear-jerking final monologue help this thoughtful comedy overcome its uneven path to a satisfying emotional payoff.
- Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles
- Notable performers: Denise Burse, Olivia Washington, Deborah Joy Winans, Charlayne Woodard
- Running time: Approximately 90 minutes, no intermission
- Performances through July 20, 2026
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