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Birthdate
August Wilson was born on April 27, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was raised only by his mother, Daisy Wilson, as his father, Frederick August left him and his five siblings. -
High School Education
He attended the Central Catholic High School in Pennsylvania, but unfortunately he left (only African-American student). He later enrolled in Connelley Vocational High School. When he was 16, he dropped out. In the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, he stayed to educate himself. -
What impacted his plays?
The complexity of August Wilson experiences as being a person of color would be expressed in his plays. He receive a lot of racism growing up. -
Jobs
Wilson held several interesting jobs before becoming a successful writer. He worked as a dishwasher, a gardener, a cook, a porter, a telemarketer, and a chauffeur. With the different jobs, he was able to have different experiences and their struggles and challenges people had in those jobs. He was able to portray these experiences in his writing. -
Changes name
August Wilson original name is Federick August Kittel Jr., named after his father. After his fathers death in 1965, he changes his name to August Wilson to honor his mother. -
Marriage #1
Wilson marries his first wife, Brenda Burton from 1969 to 1972. They had one daughter named Sakina Ansari. -
First Play: Recycling
Recycling was one of the first plays he staged, he wrote this after learning what the art of writing for stage from a library book was. With this one-act play he made his debut. -
Marriage #2
In 1981, Wilson marries Judy Oliver a social worker and is with her from 1980 to 1990. -
August Wilson's Century Play Cycle
Wilson's greatest contributions is his 10-play cycle. He has a play for each decade of the past century. All of the plays- except for Ma Rainey's Black Botton is set in Pittsburgh.
1900: Gem of the Ocean (2002)
1910: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1986)
1920: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984)
1930: The Piano Lesson (1989)
1940: Seven Guitars (1995)
1950: Fences (1985)
1960: Two Trains Running (1990)
1970: Jitney (1982)
1980: King Hedley II (2001)
1990: Radio Golf -
Jitney: 1970 (8)
Wilson did a two-act play titled, "Jitney" and it premiered in the Allegheny Repertory Theatre in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. It later went off-Broadway in New York. -
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: 1920 (3)
This is set in 1927, Ma Rain, the mother of the blues is recording new sides in Chicago. She fights to retain control over her music. Wilson is portraying rage, racism, self-hatred, and exploitation. -
Fences: 1950 (6)
Wilson's "most popular" work was 'Fences'. This play was set in 1957, which follows the story of Troy Maxson, An African American who is desperate as he is in need to provide his family. Troy struggles to find his purpose which profounds his family members to find their own. -
Joe turner's Come and Gone: 1910 (2)
Set in 1911, Wilson explore the migration pathway. With freed Blacks traveling for freedom in Pittsburgh. The protagonist, Herald Loomis is hunted by Joe Turner who illegally enslaved him and kept him for seven years. He is trying to find himself to freed himself from his past. Made its Broadway debut on March 27, 1988. 105 performances. -
The Piano Lesson: 1930 (4)
On November 26, 1987, "The Piano Lesson" premiered at the Yale repertory Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. The Piano Lesson was a play set in Pittsburgh during the Great Depression in 1936. Focuses on the Charles family and the conflict in whether to sell a heirloom piano, Fourth play in ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle. In year 1930. -
New York Drama Critics Circle Award
Wilson received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play, 'The Piano Lesson'. -
Two Trains Running: 1960 (7)
Is set in Pittsburgh in 1969 where the rise of the Black power Movement was happening in the United States, it's about the people in a neighborhood diner that the city wants to purchase. A year before the play is set, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. This earned Wilson a Tony Award for best play in 1992. -
Seven Guitars: 1940 (5)
Wilson wrote another play called Seven Guitars and on March 28, 1996 made the Broadway debut. This play is set in the backyard of a Pittsburgh boarding house in 1948. https://awaacc.org/american-century-cycle/seven-guitars/ -
Marriage
In the late 1990's, Wilson married his third wife, a costume designer name Constanza Romero. They had a daughter and moved to Seattle, Washington where Wilson continued to work on his last plays. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/ -
King Hedley-II: 1980 (9)
King Hedley II is a continue of the story of the characters from Seven guitars. This play shows the tragic realities for Black men in 1980's in Pittsburgh. After seven years in prison, the king attempts to rebuild his life. -
Gem of the Ocean: 1900 (1)
Gem of the Ocean is a play set in the Hill District in Pittsburgh in 1904. Focuses on Aunt esters home and the people within. Ester is a spiritual leader and the main connection to the community members' African heritage. They learn about their past https://study.com/academy/lesson/gem-of-the-ocean-summary-character-analysis.html#:~:text=Gem%20of%20the%20Ocean%20is%20a%202003%20play%20by%20August,eventually%20take%20over%20her%20duties. -
Radio Golf: 1990 (10)
This play is set in Pittsburgh in the late 1990's. It's a story about a successful entrepreneur who aspires to be the city's first Black mayor. When his past catches up to him, secrets get reveal. https://ardentheatre.org/production/radio-golf/ -
Deathdate
In June of 2005, Wilson got diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Wilson was also on his last play called Radio Golf which premieres at the Yale Repertory Theatre. He then dies on a Sunday of October 2 in a Seattle hospital. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/#:~:text=August%20Wilson%27s%20Legacy&text=The%20two%20had%20a%20daughter,2005%2C%20in%20a%20Seattle%20hospital. -
Qoute
Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing." - August Wilson https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2020/notable-quotable-august-wilson#:~:text=%22Confront%20the%20dark%20parts%20of,to%20sing.%22%20—%20August%20Wilson -
Work Cited
https://www.britannica.com/biography/August-Wilson#:~:text=August%20Wilson%20(born%20April%2027,century%2C%20about%20Black%20American%20life. “Who Was August Wilson? Everything You Need to Know.” Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/august-wilson-4650.php. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024. https://www.discoverwalks.com/blog/united-states/top-10-amazing-facts-about-august-wilson/https://homework.study.com/explanation/was-august- -
Work Cited
https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Wilson__August
https://www.pbs.org https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/5002/august-wilsons-ma-raineys-black-bottomhttps://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/theater/august-wilson--fences/
https://awaacc.org/american-century-cycle/joe-turner/https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map