Review: JOHNNIE TAYLOR IS GONE at The Jefferson Avenue Mission

Last weekend Aquarian Rising Productions opened playwright Gregory S. Carr’s JOHNNIE TAYLOR IS GONE at the Jefferson Avenue Mission. Director Thomasina Clarke called Carr’s comedy “a homegrown slice of life.” JOHNNIE TAYLOR IS GONE is set in a St. Louis city bar where the owner, the bartenders, servers, and the regular patrons treat each other like family.  

Bar owner Strong (Archie Coleman) is set in his ways. His old school bar caters to a 30+ crowd, and he likes it that way. Strong’s bar, The Golden Zodiac, is the gathering place for his few regular customers. Strong’s longtime waitress Annie (Mardra Thomas.) has a strong personality and is set in her ways. She is opinionated and doles out her wisdom to bar regulars Bruh (Juan Smith), Bud (Jaz Tucker,) and Pace (Jeremy Thomas.) 

Strong’s other waitress is the sexy and relatively young Wanda (Arriel Cummings.) Wanda is never on time for work and really does not do much when she’s there. Seems sleeping with the boss allows you to take advantage of your co-workers, and that doesn’t set well with the mulish Annie, or the bartender Bette (LaWanda Jackson.) 

Plenty of things at The Golden Zodiac ruffle Annie’s feathers. Especially visits from Churchill (Don McClendon) who shares a past with Annie, and Jay-G (Sequoi Edwards) a young know-it-all man with designs on taking over the failing lounge. Police officer Judy (Ieshah Edwards) is usually on hand to run interference and ensure there is no trouble brewing in the lounge. 

JOHNNIE TAYLOR IS GONE is a large ensemble acting piece that is reminiscent of a 1970’s TV sitcom. Carr’s script is a delightful diversion that includes just enough drama to hook and invest his audience in his well-developed characters. Central to Carr’s script is an old Rock-Ola or Crosley Rocket floor model jukebox filled with Rhythm ‘n Blues hits from the 1960’s and 70’s.  

Strong is stubborn and inflexible when it comes to the records in his jukebox. It is filled with his favorite music. The jukebox and Darrious Varner’s sound design play a significant part in Carr’s narrative. Much of the action is driven by the old school tunes that are housed on the 45s inside the jukebox. So much so that the jukebox becomes a character unto itself and the music adds a warm sense of nostalgia. 

Carr’s play includes plenty of St. Louis references that add to the charm of his storytelling. The bar patrons discuss The Cardinals, Sportsman's Park, Tony LaRussa, stadium beer vendors, local city high schools, rapper Nelly, White Castle, and more.  

JOHNNY TAYLOR IS GONE is filled with comedic and dramatic conflict spread across all the characters. Thier interdependency on one another creates an amusing and engaging storytelling arc. The capable ensemble’s playful portrayals create likeable characters and build believable relationships.  

In the vein of a sitcom, each of the characters narratives come to a sweet, almost too saccharine, resolution. It would have increased the authenticity of Carr’s story if one or two of the character’s stories ended up with a conclusion that wasn’t tied up with a pretty bow, especially considering some of the conflict written into the script.  

In additon to directing, Clarke is also credited with set design. She and Master Carpenter Jaun Smith collaborated to create the interior of The Golden Zodiac longue. Her blocking complimented the triptych set design with a table downstage right, the bar upstage, and the jukebox with a second table downstage left.  

The actors have convincing charisma and chemistry, the storytelling is strong, and the set was designed and used effectively, but there were a couple technical elements that were significant misses that the director must own. Apart from Mardra Thomas who played Annie, the rest of the cast struggled with projecting their dialogue. At times, each of the actors were hard to hear. It was particularly troublesome when the action was taking place upstage. 

The lighting equipment lacked sufficient intensity and brightness to adequately light the action taking place on stage. In addition, the equipment flashed consistently creating an annoyance. There was a period during the end of the first act when the lighting house right completely went out leaving stage left in the dark. Fortunately, this was a matinee performance and the ambient lighting from the Mission windows helped.  

Mardra Thomas was fantastic as Annie. She is the antagonist in several of the other character’s stories and has her own dramatic arc. Her Annie had a lot of heart and was not immune to her share of heartache. She, Archie Coleman as Strong, Jeremy Thomas as Pace, and Don McClendon as Churchill conveyed genuine and honest relationships. Annie challenged the boundaries of each of these connections and Mardra Thomas’ performance dripped with authenticity. 

JOHNNY TAYLOR IS GONE is an entertaining, delightful, and nostalgic story about times gone by in St. Louis. It is a story about both holding onto and letting go of the past. The play is enjoyable despite some of the amateurish technical elements. Seating is general admission, so it is advisable to arrive early and sit near the front so you can hear all the dialogue.  

JOHNNY TAYLOR IS GONE continues at the Jefferson Avenue Mission through May 4, 2025. More information can be found on the Aquarian Rising Productions Facebook page.  

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