Penumbra opens its 2016-17 season with August Wilson's 'Jitney'

Opens Thursday: Twin Cities audiences are so accustomed to brilliant artistry at Penumbra Theatre that there's a danger that they might take it for granted. But they shouldn't, especially where playwright August Wilson is involved. Wilson honed his craft in the Twin Cities, writing characters with Penumbra actors in mind. In fact, one character in "Jitney" is named Doub in honor of longtime Penumbra actor James A. Williams ("J. Dub" to his friends). The Penumbra acting company has an unrivaled depth of knowledge of Wilson's work. This drama is set in the 1970s as so-called urban renewal threatens an unofficial transportation service in Pittsburgh's Hill District, where most of Wilson's epic 10-play 20th-century cycle is set. Under the direction of Lou Bellamy, one of the finest interpreters of Wilson's oeuvre, the cast includes Terry Bellamy, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, T. Mychael Rambo, James T. Alfred, Kevin West, Jasmine Hughes and James Craven as jitney owner Becker. (7:30 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Ends Nov. 6. Penumbra Theatre, 270 N. Kent St., St. Paul. $15-$40. 651-224-3180 or penumbratheatre.org.)

Rohan Preston