Trouble in Mind

Trouble in Mind opens the morning of the first rehearsal of the new Broadway play, Chaos in Belleville. Wiletta Mayer, a middle-aged Black actress, is first to arrive on the scene. She is greeted by the elderly doorman, Henry. He remembers her from years ago when she performed in Brownskin Melody at the old Galy Theater. He tells her how beautiful she sounded and looked singing that song with beautiful rainbow lights all around her. Wiletta is touched by his flattery but doesn’t remember him. He says, “I was the electrician. Rigged up all those lights and never missed a cue. I’m the doorman here now. I’ve been in show business over fifty years” (8). The two continue to talk and prepare for the morning, before Henry exits.

While she’s alone, Wiletta walks onto the stage and poses in a glamorous way, like she did in Brownskin Melody. She starts to sing some of the Blues song from her time at the Galy, then “pushes the memory aside” (10). As she finishes, another actor enters the theater. John Nevins is a young Black actor who is itching to make his mark in the business.