August Wilson

Viac o knihe

This authoritative biography delves into the life of August Wilson, a pivotal American playwright of the late 20th century, penned by a theater critic who personally knew him. Wilson crafted ten plays that celebrate African American life across each decade of the 20th century, a unique and ambitious achievement in American theater. His works, including Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, transitioned successfully to film, featuring stars like Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Fences and The Piano Lesson both received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, while Fences also won the Tony Award for Best Play. Even after Wilson's passing in 2005, his legacy continued with Jitney winning a Tony Award for Best Revival. Renowned for his masterful use of vernacular speech, Wilson created characters that vividly portrayed the African American experience, drawing from what he called “the blood’s memory” of shared racial history. The author, Patti Hartigan, traces Wilson's ancestry back to slavery, revealing parallels between his life and that of his forebears. Through numerous interviews with Wilson and those close to him, along with thorough research, Hartigan narrates the journey of a writer who profoundly impacted American theater and paved the way for future playwrights of color.