Tony Award-nominees Charles S. Dutton and S. Epatha Merkerson will travel to Waterford, CT for the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center's tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. It will take place on Sunday, July 23rd.
The two stars will perform scenes from Wilson plays, and there will also be a barbecue celebration featuring participants in the National Playwrights Conference, National Critics Institute and Musical Theatre Conference, among others.This year serves to introduce the August Wilson Endowed Fellowship, as well; the Fellowship will guarantee that each year's National Playwrights Conference includes at least one dramatist of color.Wilson, who died of liver cancer on October 2nd, 2005, is considered to have been one of the major modern playwrights. His groundbreaking 10-play chronicle of the African-American experience in the 20th century encompassed Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II and Radio Golf. Six were developed at the National Playwrights Conference.Videos