James Williams

May 2, 2007

ENG 112B

Annotated Bibliography

August Wilson

One of the most prolific playwrights of the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty first century August Wilson has had a profound impact on American theatre and especially in the development of African American theatre. August Wilson�s career started off to a bumpy start, growing up in a poor community in Pittsburgh he dropped out of high school because he was accused by his teachers of cheating. August�s teachers did not believe that such great work could come from an African American youth. He self educated himself by going to libraries during the day when his parents still thought he was going to school and read up on some of the great writers of the past. Lloyd Richards, artistic director of the Yale Repertory Theatre who helped August develop his plays and started to direct his plays on Broadway, noticed his work. August Wilson�s work has garnered him two Pulitzer prizes, two Tony Awards and five New York Drama Critic Circle Awards. August Wilson received an honorary degree from the Carnegie Library, the only kind of degree to ever be given out from the library where August self educated himself.

August Wilson�s ten-play cycle chronicles the African American experience in the ten different decades of the twentieth century. Nine out of his ten plays are set in his hometown of Pittsburgh, with Ma Rainey�s Black Bottom set in Chicago. This chronicling of the African American experience in America is truly one of a kind. The topics in his plays range from the emancipation proclamation of freeing slaves to how African Americans are viewed in today�s contemporary American society. There are many common themes which run throughout August Wilson�s plays yet it is one of August�s goals for African Americans to recognize who they are and where they come from:

�I was awestruck by the very first words (of the Jewish Passover). It starts

off. �We were slaves in the land of Egypt�� They were constantly reminding

themselves of their historical situation. I find it criminal that after hundreds

of years in bondage, we do not celebrate our Emancipation Proclamation, that

we do not have a thing like Passover, where we sit down and remind ourselves

that we are African people, that we were slaves. We try to run away, to hide

that part of our past. If we did something like that, then we would know who

we are, and we wouldn�t have the problem that we have.� (OSF Illuminations

2007)

August Wilson passed away in 2005 and recently had a Broadway theatre named after him, his last play Radio Golf recently had its premiere on Broadway.

August Wilson and his work need to be read and performed by readers of all age groups, especially young adult readers. Despite it being work of fiction, there are a number of historical accuracies in all of August Wilson�s plays. High schools across the country are recognizing the importance of August Wilson and are and have been implementing his work in their curriculum. Although his work involves primarily African American characters, readers of all races will be affected by the profound works of August Wilson.

Journeys

One of the common themes throughout all of August Wilson�s plays are journeys, journeys that characters go through within the play and how it affects others. The journeys range from overcoming obstacles to identifying who you and where you come from and not running away from your past, but accepting responsibility. In young adult literature characters often go on a journey, or quest. August Wilson�s characters usually do also, a lot of their journeys and quests are inner ones though. The journey of Citizen in Gem of Ocean for him is a redemptive journey, seeking solace and his own forgiveness for his actions. Many characters in young adult literature go on journeys, Holden Caulfield from Catcher In The Rye goes on a journey outside of his normal boundaries and learns about the world and about himself. Bilbo Baggins goes on a journey to worlds he has never seen in The Hobbit. August Wilson�s character�s, although African American, have universal themes and go on journeys readers and playgoers of all races can appreciate and understand.

Bibliography

(Listed in Chronological order of decade of piece)

Wilson, August. Gem of The Ocean. Theatre Communications Group. New York,

New York. 2003.

Set in 1904, the first bookend of the August Wilson cycle follows the journey of Citizen Barlow, who has come to the doorstep of 285-year-old spiritual healer Aunt Ester. Aunt Ester takes Citizen into her home and guides him to the mythological �City of Bones�. Other characters on a journey are Solly Two Kings, who was born into slavery and scouted for the Union army who must take a journey back to Alabama to rescue his sister from the oppressive white government officials.

Wilson, August. Joe Turners Come and Gone. Samuel French Incorporated. London.

1984.

Set in 1911 in a boarding house in the Hill District in Pittsburgh run by Seth and Bertha Holly. The main spiritual journey in the story is that of Herald Loomis, who along with his daughter is searching for his wife who ran away. Joe Turner, an actual historical figure, who captured stray black men on the road and made them work in his farm for seven years, captured Herald. The journey of Herald is similar to that of Molly Cunningham who has traveled across the country who is trying to make her past right and not run away from it.

Wilson, August. Ma Rainey�s Black Bottom. Samuel French Incorporated. London.

1982.

The only piece of August Wilson�s not set in Pittsburgh, but in Chicago is primarily concerned with the journey of Ma Rainey, a popular African American blues singer. The main conflict in the piece are that the white producers are taking advantage of Ma Rainey and the African American musicians by not paying them a fair amount. The character of Ma Rainey was an actual blues singer whom August Wilson based his character on. The only August Wilson piece with material pre-written, the songs.

Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. Penguin Books. New York, New York. 1989.

The play that won August Wilson his second Pulitzer and second Tony Award is set in Pittsburgh in the Hill District. The play revolves around the journey of two family members, who are fighting over the rights to the Piano, which belonged to their mother. One of them want to keep the Piano within the family as part of their family�s history, while the other wants to sell it to erase it from its family history, the piano was given to the family by a former slave owner of the family�s early descendents, and to make a profit to try and start his own new business.

Wilson, August. Seven Guitars. Samuel French Incorporated. 1995.

This is the only August Wilson piece that is told in a flashback mode with a funeral preceding the main action. It is mainly concerned with the journey of Floyd Barton, a musician who has made it big in Chicago and has come back to Pittsburgh with newfound fame. Floyd Barton�s celebrity status has given him new financial opportunities, which eventually lead to his death. This play chronicles the rise of an African American musician in the 1940�s to heights that he cannot control.

Wilson, August. Fences. Penguin Books. New York, New York. 1985.

The play that August Wilson won his first Pulitzer and Tony Award and also gave James Earl Jones a Tony Award for his performance. It is set in Troy Maxson�s house in the 1950�s chronicles the journey of Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball player who now currently works for the garbage company. The journey also involves his son, Cory who attempts to follow his father�s footsteps and become a professional athlete.

Wilson, August. Two Trains Running. Theatre Communications Group. New York, New York. 1990.

This play is set in 1969 set in a restaurant in an urban part of Pittsburgh. The play revolves around a funeral of a black city official which people who frequent the restaurant have different opinions. This play, more than any other of Wilson�s explores the changing attitudes of African Americans have on race and class.

Wilson, August. Jitney. The Overlook Press. New York, New York. 1983.

The only August Wilson piece, which was revised for a later production. This happened not only once but also twice. The piece was originally written as a sketch, re-written in 1983, before August Wilson was a major playwright and was rewritten in 2000 for its New York premiere. It is the journey of Youngblood, a jitney driver and a Vietnam veteran who is trying to adjust to life back in the states after war in Vietnam.

Wilson, August. King Hedley II. Theatre Communications Group. New York, New York.

2001.

Set in 1985 the plays title character had a minor role in Seven Guitars. The journey of Hedley, a self proclaimed King who is trying to rebuild his life in a time of changing politics in America. Hedley tries to sell stolen refrigerators so he can have his dream of purchasing a video store. Hedley�s story and journeys comes to a close, as he has to face his criminal past, with deadly consequences.

Wilson, August. Radio Golf. Theatre Communications Group, New York, New York.

2005.

The final piece in August Wilson�s ten-play cycle centers on the land that is owned by Aunt Ester, who is from Gem of The Ocean. It is the journey of three African American developers who want to turn the Hill District in Pittsburgh into a modern day district, with modern day apartments and such current stores such as Starbucks, Whole Foods and Barnes and Noble. However a majority of the districts current residents are against the modernization of their district.

Works Cited

Bernstien, Richard. �Rescuing Black Voices from the Past.� The New York Times, 27

March, 1988, Arts & Leisure Section, pp. 1 & 34

Herrington, Joan. I Ain�t Sorry For Nothing I Done: August Wilson�s Process of Playwriting. Limelight Editions. New York, New York. 1998.

Freedman, Samuel. �Round Five for a Theatrical Heavyweight,� The New York Times,

15, April 1990, Arts & Leisure Section, p. 20.

Marks, Peter. �Cabdriver�s Melancholy Resists the Liquid Cure,� The New York Times,

23 May 1997, Section C, p. 3.

Shannon, Sandra. The Dramatic Vision of August Wilson. Howard University Press.

Washington, D.C. 1995.

Gem of The Ocean. By August Wilson. Dir. Timothy Bond. Oregon Shakespeare

Festival, Ashland, Oregon. 19 April. 2007.