'Joe Turner's Come and Gone' by playwright August Wilson extended at Goodman Theatre

CHICAGO (WLS) -- "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" just opened at The Goodman Theatre to rave reviews.

The show is from the late playwright August Wilson as part of his Century Cycle of 10 plays about the African-American experience, one for each decade of the 20th century.

Longtime Goodman Theatre resident director, Chuck Smith, told ABC7's Hosea Sanders why the lively and riveting production is one audiences won't want to miss.

"Once upon a time, African Americans were the migrants into the city," Smith said. "The cities were experiencing all these Black people coming up from the south, just like we're experiencing all these people from Latin American coming into our cities. It zeroes in on one particular man who comes in with his daughter, in search of his long lost wife. He got captured down south, put on a chain gang, and disappeared for seven years. Nobody knew what happened to him."

Smith had an enduring relationship with Wilson, who died in 2005. When Smith directed "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Goodman, the playwright was at his side.

"He came to one of the early previews, and stayed with me to polish that show up, into the box office record setting play that it was, and got my career pushed in the right direction," Smith said.

In terms of the Black audiences, the Goodman has been important in cultivating them.

"Since I've been here, our African American participation in the audiences coming to see shows has grown tremendously, and I think I have something to do with that, and I'm very proud of that," Smith said.

The show has an all-Chicago cast.

"Chicago is one of the few places where we have a talent base, an actor base that lives here... and a lot of them have lived here all their lives, like myself," Smith said.

Smith spoke more about August and his ability to write to communities in his plays.

"August connects with the community, Black and white, and I said, 'we got something. We gotta do August Wilson, especially here in Chicago, because they love it,'" Smith said. Chicago's got a little something going for itself in terms of August Wilson, and we do, no doubt about it. These plays are going to last. We do Shakespeare. We'll be doing August Wilson forever."

"Joe Turner's Come & Gone" was one of August Wilson's favorite plays, and audiences in Chicago agree.

It has just been extended at the Goodman Theatre through May 19.