Blues diva Ma Rainey and her band have come to a Chicago studio to cut a record, but their artistic differences nearly stop the session before it starts. Full of unforgettable characters and the raw power of the blues, this 1920s installment of Wilson's groundbreaking cycle of plays confronts the issues of race, fame, and generational divides through the rhythms of the African-American South.
August Wilson (1945-2005) The most-produced African-American playwright of all time, August Wilson was a self-taught writer whose distinctive style combined poeticism and everyday slang. The plays of his remarkable Pittsburgh Cycle chronicled the black experience in America in every decade of the 20thcentury, winning two Pulitzer Prizes and redefining African-American storytelling for a generation of theatergoers.
New work by Lee Hall, David Hare, Bryony Kimmings, Lucy Kirkwood, Nina Raine, Gillian Slovo and Alexander Zeldin, and contemporary revivals of two of the NT's most celebrated 20th century premieres - Amadeus and Angels in America - are among the forthcoming productions at the National Theatre announced today by Rufus Norris.
The Huntington Theatre Company will present the powerful memoir August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned, co-conceived and directed by Todd Kreidler (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner adapter at the Huntington) and featuring Eugene Lee (Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean, and The Piano Lesson at the Huntington), both longtime Wilson collaborators. Performances begin Saturday, March 5 and continue through April 3, 2016 in the BU Theatre / Avenue of the Arts.
Marin Theatre Company continues its 49th Season with August Wilson's GEM OF THE OCEAN. Set in 1904 Pittsburgh, Gem marks the beginning of Wilson's ten-play century cycle dramatizing the African American experience during the 20th century; an unprecedented series that includes the Pulitzer Prize winning Fences and The Piano Lesson.
Marin Theatre Company continues its 49th Season with August Wilson's GEM OF THE OCEAN. Set in 1904 Pittsburgh, Gem marks the beginning of Wilson's ten-play century cycle dramatizing the African American experience during the 20th century; an unprecedented series that includes the Pulitzer Prize winning Fences and The Piano Lesson.
Bayou Theatre Company continues it's 2014-2015 Season "Finding the Real" with Stew's musical "Passing Strange," exploring themes of acceptance, identity, the importance of family and love, set in various parts of Europe like Amsterdam, and Berlin. Passing Strange is directed by Bayou Theatre Company's Artistic Director Alric Davis with musical direction by Donte Wright, and will be performed at the Frenetic Theatre Thursday - Saturday August 6th - 8th nightly at 7:30 p.m.
THE FOREIGNER is the last play in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season. Alley Resident Company member Jeffrey Bean returns to one of his signature roles as Charlie Baker. The show opens tonight, July 8, 2015.
The Foreigner is the last play in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season, starring Alley Resident Company member Jeffrey Bean in one of his signature roles as Charlie Baker.
Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announced the cast and creative team for The Foreigner, the last play in the "Alley Theatre @ UH" season. Alley Resident Company member Jeffrey Bean returns to one of his signature roles as Charlie Baker.
From May 14 to 31 (rescheduled from May 7 to 24), The Morningside Players will present 'Fences,' the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play by August Wilson, directed by Arthur French, a stalwart veteran of Broadway and Off-Broadway who is also a prime interpreter of August Wilson's plays.
Trinity Rep closes out Season 51: The Necessity of Human Connection with the world premiere of Tony-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl and composer Todd Almond's Melancholy Play: a chamber musical, directed by Obie Award-winner Liesl Tommy. Melancholy Play: a chamber musical runs May 28 through June 28, 2015 in Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater.
From May 7 to 24, The Morningside Players will present 'Fences,' the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play by August Wilson, directed by Arthur French, a stalwart veteran of Broadway and Off-Broadway who is also a prime interpreter of August Wilson's plays.
Court Theatre announces its 61st season under the continuing leadership of Artistic Director Charles Newell, Executive Director Stephen J. Albert, and Board Chair Marilyn Fatt Vitale.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for August Wilson's classic drama King Hedley II. Set in the 1980s Hill District of Pittsburgh, the ninth installment of Pulitzer Prize winner Wilson's acclaimed play cycle examining Black America follows a scarred ex-convict who struggles to turn his life around and lock away his past. The drama is directed by Timothy Douglas, who worked with the late playwright on the world premiere of Radio Golf and has directed eight plays out of Wilson's 10-play cycle. King Hedley II runs February 6-March 8, 2015 in the Fichandler Stage.
Goodman Theatre, in collaboration with Chicago's various off-Loop theaters and Northwestern University, unveils partial programming in its spring 2015 citywide "August Wilson Celebration" -- an extensive retrospective of the late playwright's life, artistry and influence on American culture. The seven-week Celebration takes place in March and April 2015 on dual landmark occasions: the 70th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright's birth and the 10th anniversary of his death.
From today, October 21 to November 8, August Strindberg Repertory will transport Strindberg's 'Miss Julie' to an antebellum Louisiana plantation in a new interpretation conceived by Artistic Director Robert Greer and adapted by Edgar Chisholm from a translation by Greer. The production will include a ballet sequence, which Strindberg specified in the original manuscript and which has never been performed before. The piece will be directed by Robert Greer and choreographed by Ja' Malik.
Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Dracula, the Original Vampire Play, the second production in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season. Featuring iconic costume and set designs by Edward Gorey, the Alley's production is based on the original 1927 adaptation of the classic thriller that marvelously balances the menace of the horror tale with sophisticated satire.
From October 21 to November 8, August Strindberg Repertory will transport Strindberg's 'Miss Julie' to an antebellum Louisiana plantation in a new interpretation conceived by Artistic Director Robert Greer and adapted by Edgar Chisholm from a translation by Greer. The production will include a ballet sequence, which Strindberg specified in the original manuscript and which has never been performed before. The piece will be directed by Robert Greer and choreographed by Ja' Malik.
Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for Dracula, the Original Vampire Play, the second production in the 'Alley Theatre @ UH' season. Featuring iconic costume and set designs by Edward Gorey, the Alley's production is based on the original 1927 adaptation of the classic thriller that marvelously balances the menace of the horror tale with sophisticated satire.
Huntington Theatre Company and the Mayor's Office of Arts + Culture will collaborate to present a free community event at Dorchester's Strand Theatre tonight, August 27 at 7pm in conjunction with the Huntington's upcoming production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Huntington Theatre Company and the Mayor's Office of Arts + Culture will collaborate to present a free community event at Dorchester's Strand Theatre on Wednesday, August 27 at 7pm in conjunction with the Huntington's upcoming production of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Multi Ethnic Theater, in association with Custom Made Theatre, presents August Wilson's Jitney, beginning today, August 7, and continues through August 31, at Gough Street Playhouse, 1620 Gough Street in San Francisco. Jitney is directed by Lewis Campbell, founder and artistic director of Multi Ethnic Theater. The play concerns a group of working class men who offer gypsy cab rides to and from African American communities where city cabs refuse to go.
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz will direct Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock in a major co-production with Bristol Old Vic. The cast will be led by Niamh Cusack as the eponymous Juno and Des McAleer as her husband Jack Boyle. The production is at Bristol Old Vic from 5 to 27 September before moving to the Liverpool Playhouse from 1 to 18 October.
Multi Ethnic Theater, in association with Custom Made Theatre, will present August Wilson's Jitney, August 7-31, at Gough Street Playhouse, 1620 Gough Street in San Francisco. Jitney is directed by Lewis Campbell, founder and artistic director of Multi Ethnic Theater. The play concerns a group of working class men who offer gypsy cab rides to and from African American communities where city cabs refuse to go.
Deadline writes that stage and screen actor Anthony Mackie is looking to play Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens in an upcoming passion project with writer/producer Jamie Linden (We Are Marshall) and scribe George Olson.
With Broadway's 2014 season now in full swing, there's a solid group of performers making their Broadway debuts this Spring. Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!
1984 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2003 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Theatre World Awards | Performance | Thomas Jefferson Byrd |
2003 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play | Thomas Jefferson Byrd |
Videos