CENTERSTAGE BRINGS AUGUST WILSON'S FINAL CHAPTER OF 20TH-CENTURY AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE TO BALTIMORE

CENTERSTAGE continues its 43^rd Season with the Mid-Atlantic premiere of August Wilson's Radio Golf, the stirring conclusion to his epic 10-play cycle chronicling the African American experience during the 20^th Century. August Wilson's Radio Golf plays The Pearlstone Theater March 24^th through April 30^th, with an official opening night of March 29^th. A variety of community outreach events are being offered throughout the month of April to augment the run.

Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson completes his monumental examination of the 20^th-century African American experience, revisiting the terrain that he has woven into theatrical legend. It's Pittsburgh, 1997. Mayoral hopeful Harmond Wilks and his business partner Roosevelt Hicks have a surefire plan to revitalize the decrepit Hill District of their youth. Standing in their way is the mythic house at 1839 Wylie Avenue, and the man who claims it. Will commerce or culture overcome? This final chapter—depicting a fragile community wrestling with The Temptations and the risks of paving over its heritage—shows that although the challenges change, the struggle endures.

Kenny Leon—Artistic Director of the Atlanta and DC-based True Colors Theatre Company and frequent performer and director of Wilson's work—makes his Baltimore directing debut with this production, previously seen with the same cast and creative team at LA's Mark Taper Forum and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Radio Golf is the eighth Wilson play to appear at CENTERSTAGE, an amazing run that began with CENTERSTAGE Artistic Director Irene Lewis' staging of Joe Turner's Come and Gone in 1988.

Director Kenny Leon feels that Radio Golf represented a shift in Wilson's focus. "Radio Golf is an important closure to this epic cycle. The other nine [plays] involve thoughts about the community, where the community is. You can hear the song and the music of the community. This is the first of the plays where you feel that some parts of the community are losing their song, losing their music. I think what was important to August was that, when we go into the next century, we have to give ourselves a shot at going into it together, going into it with hope. He's hoping that we don't lose our song."

For Artistic Director Irene Lewis, the decision to program Radio Golf was never in question. "I'm extremely drawn to the odyssey that Mr. Wilson has written about—to trace a people's history in the context of America, the African American experience decade-by-decade…I find it an enormous accomplishment. And quite frankly, it's mostly stuff the white audience never knew, and that's why I find it so important. I'm sure there are people who might say there are a lot of African Americans who don't know it either. I also find his language extraordinary. I find his riffs, his arias to be extremely poetic. I always say, rather glibly, CENTERSTAGE is August Wilson country, but it is for both the whites and blacks in our audience, and it's been built to be. This man's revered here. I'm thrilled."

As for Wilson's legacy, Leon feels that the recently deceased master stands above and beyond. "August is simply the greatest playwright this country has ever seen. No one else has been able to do what he has done—he's put a face on [ten decades of] history. The impact of those plays, the technical skill it took to deliver those plays, the character development—no one is even close. I think that all of our young people in all of our schools, our colleges—they must be taught August Wilson. You take August Wilson out of the last 24 years of American history, there would be a huge void left there."

August Wilson, who died last October at age 60 of liver cancer, was the author of Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf. Mr. Wilson's works garnered many awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain's Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, and Jitney. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson.

Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships in Playwrighting, the Whiting Writers Award, and the 2003 Heinz Award; was awarded a 1999 National Humanities Medal by the President of the United States; and received numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, as well as the only high school diploma ever issued by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52^nd Street in his honor.

Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lived in Seattle, Washington at the time of his death. He is survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.

Seven of his plays have been previously produced at CENTERSTAGE: Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1988–89), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1990–91), Fences (1993–94), Two Trains Running (1994–95), Seven Guitars (1996–97), Jitney (1998–99), and The Piano Lesson (2000–01).

Heading the cast as Harmond Wilks, the mayoral hopeful who discovers an unexpected tie to Aunt Ester's house at 1839 Wylie Avenue, is Rocky Carroll, making his CENTERSTAGE debut. Probably most recognizable for his long-running television roles—as Dr. Keith Wilkes on Chicago Hope and as Joey Emerson on the Baltimore-set Roc—Mr. Carroll made his Broadway debut in The Piano Lesson, garnering Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards and Tony and Drama Desk nominations for his performance. In addition to his theatrical credits, Mr. Carroll's film appearances include Crimson Tide, Born on the Fourth of July, and The Great White Hype.

Appearing as Wilks' wife Mame, a public relations maven spearheading his upcoming campaign, is Denise Burse. Ms. Burse previously appeared as Rose in Fences at CENTERSTAGE, a role she also played for Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company. Her many theater appearances include Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter on Broadway, Robert Johnson Tricked the Devil (Audelco Award), Ground People (Audelco nomination, Theatre World Award), and Flyin' West with Ruby Dee at The Kennedy Center. Her numerous film and television credits include Angel, Basquiat, The Juror, the first three Law & Order series, Third Watch, 100 Centre Street, The Sopranos, The Cosby Show, and the BET/STARZ movie Funny Valentines, with Alfre Woodard and LorEtta Devine. Mr. Carroll and Ms. Burse previously appeared in the Los Angeles and Seattle engagements of Radio Golf.

Playing Roosevelt Hicks, Wilks' business partner and the host of a local radio program about golf, is James A. Williams. Mr. Williams previously appeared at CENTERSTAGE in Lorraine Hansberry's Les Blancs. He recently directed a production of The Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, is a company member of Penumbra Theatre Company and an associate at Pillsbury House Theatre, and has been a member of Guthrie Theater's Acting Company for four years. His many theatrical credits include favorite roles in Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, Boesman and Lena, Two Trains Running, The Masks of Othello, Jitney, Seven Guitars, The Illusion, and The Winter's Tale. Mr. Williams is an artistic consultant for the St. Paul Public School System.

CENTERSTAGE veteran Anthony Chisholm plays Elder Joseph Barlow, who shows up claiming rights to Aunt Ester's historic house. Mr. Chisholm previously appeared in CENTERSTAGE's productions of Les Blancs and Jitney, both directed by Marion McClinton. He appeared in Two Trains Running and Gem of the Ocean on Broadway and in King Lear Off Broadway. Other theater credits include Back in the World (Audelco nomination), Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (first national tour), Jitney (Off Broadway, 2000 Obie and Drama Desk Awards; London's National Theatre, 2002 Olivier Award), Two Trains Running, Gem of the Ocean (NAACP and Ovation Awards), Tracers, I Am a Man, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, and Driving Miss Daisy. Mr. Chisholm's film and television credits include Beloved, 100 Centre Street, Law & Order: SVU, Vietnam War Stories (Cable Ace nomination), Third Watch, New York Undercover, and Oz.

Rounding out the cast in his CENTERSTAGE debut as the down-on-his-luck Sterling Johnson—a character who first appeared in Two Trains Running—is John Earl Jelks. Prior to Radio Golf, Mr. Jelks appeared in the Broadway, Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago engagements of Gem of the Ocean, garnering a 2004 Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Award for Best Ensemble Equity and 2003 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award. His other theatrical credits include Pill Hill, Diary of a Black Man, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and The Piano Lesson.  He appeared in Zeinabu Irene Davis' Sundance-nominated film Compensation. Mr. Williams, Mr. Chisholm, and Mr. Jelks have all appeared in Radio Golf since its world premiere last April at Yale Repertory Theatre.

Director Kenny Leon makes his CENTERSTAGE directing debut, having begun his professional career here as a Directing Fellow under then-Artistic Director Stan Wojewodski, Jr. in 1986. He is founder and Artistic Director of True Colors Theatre Company and was Artistic Director of Atlanta's ALLIANCE THEATRE for more than a decade. He has directed nine of the ten plays in August Wilson's cycle, including the 2004 Broadway production of Gem of the Ocean. He also directed Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald in Tony-winning performances in the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun. He directed the world premiere of Toni Morrison's opera, Margaret Garner, and will soon direct Naomi Wallace's Things of Dry Hours at New York Theatre Workshop. One of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2004, he received Martell Cognac's Rise Above Award and is currently the face of Martell. Mr. Leon is a graduate and honorary PhD of Clark Atlanta University and was chosen as one of the "top 20 Southerners to watch" by London's Financial Times.

The design team for Radio Golf features four CENTERSTAGE veterans. David Gallo (scenery) and Donald Holder (lighting) last collaborated here on Jerome Hairston's a.m. Sunday, while Susan Hilferty (costumes) was most recently here with Eric Bogosian's Griller. Amy C. Wedel (sound) previously designed David Mamet's Speed-The-Plow. Gallo is an eight-time nominee and two-time Drama Desk winner, as well as a Tony nominee for Leon's production of Gem of the Ocean. Holder is a seven-time Drama Desk and five-time Tony nominee, and won both awards for The Lion King. Hilferty also is Drama Desk and Tony recognized, having been nominated for both for Into the Woods, and won both for Wicked. Wedel is in her third season as CENTERSTAGE's Audio Engineer, a position she previously held at Dallas Theater Center. Her other designs included Hedda Gabler in Dallas and Everyman Theatre's recent production of The Last Five Years.

Also contributing to the production are husband-and-wife Todd Kreidler (Dramaturg) and Erin Annarella (Vocal Coach). Assisting with production dramaturgy is CENTERSTAGE's Literary Manager, Otis Ramsey-Zöe. The original music has been composed by Kathryn Bostic. Casting was handled by Harriet Bass, with stage management duties shared by Marion Friedman and CENTERSTAGE Resident Stage Manager Debra Acquavella

August Wilson's Radio Golf will be presented at The Pearlstone Theater at CENTERSTAGE from March 24–April 30, 2006. Performance Times are Tuesday through Saturday: 8 pm, Sunday: 7:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday Matinee: 2 pm , with a Wednesday Matinee: April 12^th at 1 pm. Tickets are $10–$65, with Student & Senior Discounts (half-price on the day of show, except for College Night—advance half-price student tickets available for Friday, April 7^th ). Discounts are available for groups of 15+. Contact Group Sales at 410.986.4008 or groups@centerstage.org.

CENTERSTAGE also has "Pay Your Age Previews" where patrons age 35 and under can buy the best available tickets—in person on the day of show—for any preview at the price of $1 for every year of their age; ID required, Friday–Tuesday, March 24^th–28^th

Call 410.332.0033 for tickets and information. Or go online: centerstage.org.

For more information, E-mail: info@centerstage.org or visit the website at centerstage.org .