August Wilson (1945–2005)

Another dynamite entry in Wilson's Century Cycle of plays. As with most of them I have read so far, there is very little action; the point is more to present a living picture of life for these people, in this moment and this place. Wilson was masterful at that. He somehow always managed to reproduce on the page the patterns of speech, with rhythm, intonation and inflections all laid on in such a way that you don't have to hear it out loud to hear it in your head. The entire play takes place show more in a small restaurant run by Memphis, with the assistance of the long-suffering and much badgered Risa, who can never seem to do what he wants just when he wants her to. It's Pittsburgh, 1969. The characters who come and go are priceless, from the grocer and the undertaker who carry on business across the street, to the numbers runner Memphis tries to keep from using HIS phone for shady dealings and the customer who has grand plans for what he will do when his number hits (including marrying Risa, who is totally non-committal on the subject). My editions of most of these plays include a production history and cast lists from Broadway productions of the work. Naturally, imagining Samuel L. Jackson, Viola Davis, Roscoe Lee Brown, Leslie Uggams, Laurence Fishburne and other actors of high caliber performing Wilson's words adds to the reading experience. show less

short on action, long on dialog...this play is what I'd call a dramatic character study, and very powerful in laying out a slice of life in the early 20th century for a handful of black people who cross paths in a Pittsburgh boarding house. These people, while technically "free", still have to deal daily with obstacles and perils arising out of discrimination and intolerance; we get to hear a heart-wrenching tale of a married couple separated by the underhanded actions of Joe Turner, who show more tricks black men into dice games, has them arrested and "sold" into a form of bondage which is only marginally less cruel than outright slavery because it does have an end date built in. "Joe Turner's come and gone" explains to many a woman why her man has disappeared and left no word behind. Wilson's world is so rich, and unlike many plays (for me, at least) it works very well on the page. show less

Citizen Barlowe, a very troubled young man with a guilty conscience, seeks help from Aunt Ester Tyler, an ancient woman gifted with the wisdom of the ages. She sets him a task, and then takes him on a spiritual journey to the "City of Bones" where he atones for his sin and learns to "be right with himself". I enjoyed reading this play, but have trouble imagining it on the stage. There is little action, and not a lot of dialog. Mainly, various characters deliver longish speeches--Aunt Ester show more and Solly tell stories, Caesar rants. I think I would have appreciated it better in the form of a short story. Still, powerful voices speaking here. show less

This is the sixth play I've read from Wilson's cycle of ten, each set in a different decade, all set in Pittsburgh. Despite some recurrent themes, each is unique and tells its own story with its own characters. I was surprised, therefore, when I realized how directly this one connects to King Hedley II. Ruby's telling of the fateful encounter between Elmore and Leroy differs from Elmore's version of the story in the chronologically later play, and is a perfect example of how realistic show more Wilson's mythology feels. These two-act plays are rich in what Wilson himself calls out as Black culture. As I keep moving back in time, I am enthralled by how timeless some experiences are. Though I have been disappointed in the short shrift given to his female characters, I enjoyed the richer characterizations Wilson created in the women of this story: Vera, Louise, and Ruby. show less