90.5 WESA: August Wilson is well known for his 20th century cycle of works about the black experience in America. But now an additional play written shortly before Wilson’s death is debuting in Pittsburgh. Actor Eugene Lee and Director Todd Kreidler, Wilson’s friend and protégé, explain what “How I Learned What I Learned” reveals about the playwright’s life as a poet in the Hill District.
2 comments:
This is very exciting to hear. To listen to people who were so close to August Wilson, discuss him is very exciting for me. Especially since we're focusing on him now, and the show is so close to us. I also was unaware that August Wilson wrote another play entirely about himself. A beautiful autobiography. I am aware that to perform works by the likes of August Wilson, it is important to research the author, but when you have the opportunity to have a resource such as this, you simply cannot pass it up. I will be seeing this show. 54102 <54-102> <54102>
I honestly did not know what to think when I first read this. I was nervous because it made me feel as though they were piecing together an unfinished work to make money and revitalize the name. But then I was thinking that there is a whole generation that is coming up that does not know August Wilson very well. I think that this piece of theatre is important because we learn so much about him from his plays but we don’t know much about his personal life and how he was raised in a theatrical setting. Additionally, I hope the show portrayed the neighborhood of the Hill District in the appropriate way and helps spread the message what this area really is. I really hope this production succeeds and continues to run. August Wilson is such an important playwright, specifically in the Pittsburgh area, who more audiences should know.
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