Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Huntington, Boston, through November 13. 617-266-0800 or thehuntington.org
617-933-8600.

Call August Wilson the Bard of Pittsburgh. After all, the native-born African-American dramatist (1945-2005) movingly chronicled twentieth century black life in ten strong Pittsburgh-set plays—one for each decade. As with all great playwrights, the writing is both specific in its images and universal in its messages. Now The Huntington—which once powerfully showcased the full Wilson canon—is re-opening its handsomely renovated main stage with a fittingly named August Wilson Lobby (the late Wilson often frequenting that lobby) and a joyous and heartfelt revival of his haunting "Joe Turner's Come and Gone"(1984, Broadway 1988).

Set in 1911 at a Pittsburgh boarding house run by owner Seth Holly and his wife Bertha, Wilson's richly poetic drama finds "the sons and daughters of newly freed African slaves" wandering into the city from the South. Both hopeful and uncertain about their prospects in the North, they seek a stability that Seth possesses. Imperturbable resident conjure man, or root worker Bynum Walker seems to speak to all the boarders' respective quests and hopes as he evocatively stresses the importance of finding one's own song.

That search for one's own song—and by extension, identity—finds its strongest expression in the search of harried deacon Herald Loomis for his wife Martha Pentecost. Herald had been kidnapped for seven years of chain gang farm labor by the title brother of the Governor of Tennessee and later looked unsuccessfully for Martha for three years. He has now arrived at the Holly boarding house with daughter Zonia to continue his quest. There he meets Rutherford Selig, whom Bynum describes as a first-class People Finder. Selig promises to find Martha, but Herald's Memphis years continue to plague his soul and threaten his own search for an inner song.

All around Bynum, Herald and Zonia, other boarders struggle with varying degrees of success to sing their own songs and articulate their own identities. Jeremy Furlow works on roads but longs to make his mark as a guitarist playing at dances and hopes Molly will join him. Independent-minded Molly Cunningham has no intention to head to the Jim Crowe South and believes that men are not dependable but she does find Jeremy fairly charming. Mattie Campbell—who had two babies that died and a man named Jack Carper who may not return—has to finish ironing for Doc Goldblum and may be too diffident to set out on her own. For his part, Bynum counsels these younger boarders as well as Herald to find their inner song and sing it

Under director Lili-Anne Brown's seamless direction, a first-rate cast sings Wilson's rightly acclaimed song (a New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winner) with exuberant confidence. Maurice Emmanuel Parent has all of Seth's orneriness and directness while Shannon Lamb beautifully captures Bertha's contrasting serenity. Robert Cornelius catches pivotal Bynum's amusing approach to life and lyrical philosophy about self-examination. He sharply finds the rhythms and disarming wisdom of the root worker's extended speeches about inner songs. James Milord is touching as emotionally conflicted Herald—especially as he describes sitting up like Jonah in the whale's belly for three years waiting to say goodbye to Martha. Milord is commandingly riveting as he refers to flesh and bone imagery with the force of a prophetic vision like the biblical Ezekiel's.

Stewart Evan Smith, a revelation as dream-driven Jeremy, has all of his charisma and flair. Dela Meskienyar captures Molly's tenacity, while Al-nisa Petty aces Mattie's sweetness and vulnerability. Lewis D.Wheeler finds Selig's no-nonsense business posture. Patrese D. McClain makes the most of Martha's faith-strong connection to the famed Psalm 23 ("The Lord Is My Shepherd"). Gray Flaherty as Zonia and Joshua McKenna as neighbor playmate Reuben Mercer (alternating with Alana Ross and Eli Lapaix respectively through the run) have all of their ease and simplicity. Arnel Sancianco's eye-catching boarding house set features a majestic staircase and landing.

As Loomis finds his song of self-sufficiency, Bynum observes "Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money!" So it goes for the wonderfully luminous revival of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" and the newly re-opened Huntington.