When August Wilson’s young daughter Azula asked him why he was a writer, he answered, “To tell the story.” For most of his career, the story Wilson has been telling is that of African Americans in the 20th century.
He set out to write 10 plays — one for each decade — that would trace the journey of African-Americans from slavery in the South to emancipation in the North, through the Industrial Revolution, race riots, and Reaganomics.
Wilson’s new play, “Gem of the Ocean,” is the ninth to be staged, but chronologically, it marks the start of the series. Set in Wilson’s hometown of Pittsburgh in 1904, the play follows characters for whom slavery is still more than a memory, as they struggle to define freedom and citizenship for themselves.
Guests:
August Wilson, playwright.