August Wilson (1945-2005) authored Gem of the Ocean (2003), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1984), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984), The Piano Lesson (1990), Seven Guitars (1995), Fences (1987), Two Trains Running (1991), Jitney (1982), King Hedley II (1999) and Radio Golf (2005). These ten works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade by decade, over the course of the 20th century, and are collectively known as The Century Cycle. In 2003, Mr. Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Wilson’s work garnered many awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987) and The Piano Lesson (1990); a Tony Award for Fences; Great Britain’s Olivier Award for Jitney; as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars and Jitney. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award and Mr. Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Mr. Wilson’s early works include the one-act plays The Janitor, Recycle, The Coldest Day of the Year, Malcolm X, The Homecoming and the musical satire Black Bart and the Sacred Hills. Mr. Wilson received many fellowships and awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships in Playwriting, the 2003 Heinz Award, a 1999 National Humanities Medal by the President of the United States and numerous honorary degrees from colleges and universities, as well as the only high school diploma ever issued by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He was an alumnus of New Dramatists, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. On October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street the August Wilson Theatre. Mr. Wilson was born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and lived in Seattle, Washington, at the time of his death. He is survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.

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Ma Rainey's Black BottomA Play
TOLEDO: Go ahead, then. Spell it. Music. Spell it.
LEVEE: I can spell it, nigger! M-U-S-I-K. There!
(He reaches for the money.)
TOLEDO: Naw! Naw! Leave that money alone! You ain’t spelled it.
LEVEE: What you mean I ain’t spelled it? I said M-U-S-I-K!
TOLEDO: That ain’t how you spell it! That ain’t how you spell it! It’s M-U-S-I-C! C, nigger. Not K! M-U-S-I-C!
LEVEE: What you mean, C? Who say it’s C?
TOLEDO: Cutler. Slow Drag, Tell this fool.
(They look at each other and then away.)
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!
(TOLEDO picks up the money and hands LEVEE his dollar back.)
Here’s your dollar back, Levee. I done won it, you understand. I done won the dollar. But if don’t nobody know but me, how am I gonna prove it to you?
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (wilmarai)Premiered in1984 -
Ma Rainey's Black BottomA Play
MA RAINEY: Irvin, what is that I hear? What is that the band’s rehearsing? I know they ain’t rehearsing Levee’s “Black Bottom.” I know I ain’t hearing that?
IRVIN: Ma, listen… that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Levee’s version of that song… it’s got a nice arrangement… a nice horn intro… It really picks it up…
MA RAINEY: I ain’t studying Levee nothing. I know what he done to that song and I don’t like to sing it that way. I’m doing it the old way. That’s why I brought my nephew to do the voice intro.
IRVIN: Ma, that’s what the people want now. They want something they can dance to. Times are changing. Levee’s arrangement gives people what they want. It gets them excited… makes them forget about their troubles.
MA RAINEY: I don’t care what you say, Irvin. Levee ain’t messing up my song. If he got what the people want, let him take it somewhere else. I’m singing Ma Rainey’s song. I ain’t singing Levee’s song. Now that’s all there is to it. Carry my nephew on down there and introduce him to the band. I promised my sister I’d look out for him and he’s gonna do the voice intro on the song my way.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (wilmarai)Premiered in1984 -
Ma Rainey's Black BottomA Play
(TOLEDO and SLOW DRAG succeed in pulling CUTLER off LEVEE, who is bleeding at the nose and mouth.)
LEVEE: Naw, let him go! Let him go!
(He pulls out a knife.)
That’s your God, huh? That’s your God, huh? Is that right? Your God, huh? All right. I’m gonna give your God a chance. I’m gonna give your God a chance. I’m gonna give him a chance to save your black ass.
(LEVEE circles CUTLER with the knife. CUTLER picks up a chair to protect himself.)
TOLEDO: Come on, Levee… put the knife up!
LEVEE: Stay out of this, Toledo!
TOLEDO: That ain’t no way to solve nothing.
(LEVEE alternatively swipes at CUTLER during the following.)
LEVEE: I’m calling Cutler’s God! I’m talking to Cutler’s God! You hear me? Cutler’s God! I’m calling Cutler’s God. Come on and save this nigger! Strike me down before I cut his throat!
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (wilmarai)Premiered in1984
Selected Works




- Print Books
- Powell's
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- Print Books
- Powell's
- Barnes & Noble
- Alibris
- Abe Books