Gem of the Ocean at Hartford Stage

Set in 1904, this tale of a spiritually tormented young man is the first installment of Wilson's decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle of the 20th century, The Pittsburgh Cycle. Citizen Barlow comes to the home of a former slave and 'soul cleanser,' Aunt Ester, who sets him off on a spiritual journey to find a city in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. On his way to the mythic city, he makes startling discoveries about guilt, duty and redemption.