PLAY OF THE DAY! Today's Play: MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM by August Wilson

During this time when productions all over the world have been put on pause, we are coming together to celebrate plays that have left their mark on theater history.

This week we will be focusing on the plays of August Wilson.

Today's play, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom opened on Broadway in 1984. It is one of the plays in August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle. The play is set in Chicago in the 1920s and deals with issues of race, religion and the exploitation of black recording artists by white producers.

The play received a 1985 Tony Award nomination for Best Play. The play starred Theresa Merritt, Charles S. Dutton and more. Merrit and Dutton were both nominated for Tony Awards.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was revived on Broadway in 2003 featuring Charles S. Dutton as Levee and Whoopi Goldberg as Ma.

The National Theatre in London revived the show in 2016, and won the Olivier Award for Best Revival.

In 2019 it was announced that Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo and Michael Potts were set to star in a Netflix film version of the play.