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Thank goodness we have talented artists like playwright Harry Clark living here in the Old Pueblo.

Otherwise, a theatrical gem like "Raisin' Cane" might never have come through.

The two-hour dramatic production — Clark's brainchild showcasing the art, music and literature of the Harlem Renaissance — could have easily skipped Tucson on the way to its Feb. 18 gig at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

Nevertheless, the work debuted Saturday at the Berger Performing Arts Center as part of Chamber Music Plus Southwest's 2006-07 performance series.

Blending musician Avery Sharpe's bass-percussion-violin trio with actress Jasmine Guy's standout narration, "Cane" takes you on a trip from the days following the end of World War I in Harlem, to the rise of the Renaissance with musicians like Fats Waller and writers like Langston Hughes, to the period's ultimate demise during the Great Depression.

"It was an exceptional time," exclaims Guy atop the soothing hum of a violin solo early on. "It was our time. It was about time."

With pictures and paintings of the historic New York neighborhood flashing in the background and original Sharpe works played throughout, "Raisin' Cane" is meant to be an onslaught of vivid sights and sounds.

But it's Guy — best known for her role as Whitley Gilbert on "The Cosby Show" spinoff "A Different World" — who makes the production so much fun to watch.

Eloquent, sensual and garbed in a form-fitting black dress with elaborate gold print, Guy was the perfect vessel for all that was considered beautiful during the Harlem Renaissance.

Moving back and forth between podiums at either end of the stage, the 42-year-old actress transported the audience back to 1920s New York, reading through historical descriptions of the time with ever-changing dialects — depictions of Jamaican writer Claude McKay and Hughes among them.

Any dance skills she picked up during her time with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company came in handy during the frequent choreographed bass and percussion solos, and she had no trouble belting out a blues or gospel tune when the script called for it.

The actress played an essential role and proved herself to be a true Renaissance woman aptly cast into a diverse, entertaining and informative program.