Biography
August Wilson (1945–2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called The Pittsburgh Cycle, which chronicle the experiences and heritage of the African-American community in the 20th century. Plays in the series include, Jitney (1982), Fences (1984), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1986), The Piano Lesson (1987) and King Hedley II (1999). Two of his plays...
Known For
Complete Filmography
The Piano Lesson
2024
Theatre Play
A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy...
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: A Legacy Brought to Screen
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Viola Davis, Denzel Washington, George C. Wolfe and more share the heart, soul and history that brought August Wilson's timeless play to the screen.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
2020
Theatre Play
Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.
On Broadway
2019
as Self
An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inc...
Fences
2016
Theatre Play, Screenplay
In 1950s Pittsburgh, a frustrated African-American father struggles with the constraints of poverty, racism, and his own inner demons as he tries to r...
August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Unprecedented access to Wilson’s theatrical archives, rarely seen interviews and new dramatic readings bring to life his seminal 10-play cycle chronic...
The Piano Lesson
1995
Teleplay, Original Story, Producer
1930's Pittsburgh, a brother comes home to claim "my half of the piano", a family heirloom; but his sister is not wanting to part with it. This is a g...
Wylie Avenue Days
1991
as Interviewee
The Pittsburgh History Series is an ongoing series of hour-long documentaries that highlight various parts of our city's history. Since 1988, these do...