Charlayne Woodard, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and Others Set for Free Tribute to Wilson at Seattle Rep

Seattle Repertory Theatre will honor the art and language of playwright August Wilson on Monday, February 13 at 6:30pm in the Bagley Wright Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public, no reservations required.

The evening will feature artists from Radio Golf, and other special guests who have been notable interpreters of Mr. Wilson's work over the years, both here and at theatres around the country. Each of Mr. Wilson's ten plays will be represented by actors such as Charlayne Woodard, Cynthia Jones, Chic Street Man, Derrick Sanders, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Lisa Estridge, Reggie Jackson, Keith Randolph Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson and will also feature comments by Norm Rice and Todd Kreidler, Mr. Wilson's dramaturg and friend.

August Wilson authored Jitney, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, King Hedley II, Gem of the Ocean, and Radio Golf—a cycle of works that explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade by decade, over the course of the 20th century. His plays have been produced at regional theaters across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway, and have garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences and The Piano Lesson, a Tony Award for Fences, Great Britain's Olivier Award for Jitney, as well as 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. The cast recording of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award, and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. He made his professional stage debut at Seattle Rep in the 2003 Hot Type Festival with his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. Over his career, Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, and 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, and in 1995 was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where most of his plays are set. He passed away in October 2005 and is survived by his daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.

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