Pre-Show Activities

by Liana SC and Nick Hone

1. August Wilson is one of the preeminent playwrights of the American theater canon. His most famous plays make up what is known as The American Century Cycle, depicting Black culture in decades throughout the 20th century. Turn to the PlayNotes article “The American Century Cycle” (pg. 23) and read about at least one of the following plays. Share what you have learned with a partner.

• Gem of the Ocean

• Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

• The Piano Lesson

• Seven Guitars

• Fences

• Two Trains Running

• Jitney

• King Hedley II

• Radio Golf

2. Read the PlayNotes article “The 4 B's of Inspiration: Borges, Bearden, Baraka and The Blues” (pg. 17). Choose one of the 4 B's (as listed below) to research further. Then, find a partner who chose a different topic and share what you have learned.

• Romare Bearden

• Amiri Baraka

• Jorge Luis Borges

• The Blues

3. This play is unique in that it only includes one character, performed by one actor. Why do you think August Wilson chose to write the play this way? How might this limit the story the playwright is able to tell? How might it change the way other creatives on the show (the director, lighting, costume, set designers, etc.) work?

4. Do some research on August Wilson. (The PlayNotes article “The Life and Legacy of August Wilson” may be a good place to start.) Who was he? What did he write? What are some major themes he explored in his work? Share with a partner/group what you found.

5. Much of August Wilson’s story centers around the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Almost every city in the United States has historically Black communities, each with unique stories and difficulties. Read the warticle “The History of Pittsburgh’s Hill District,” then do some research on your hometown/area and find historic communities near you. Have they been exploited or pushed out, have they grown? Find a partner and share what you learned.