August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Pittsburgh honors its most famous literary son through several world-class institutions and historic sites that visitors can explore today.
August Wilson
Chronicling the Black Experience, One Decade at a Time.
August Wilson (1945–2005) was a preeminent American playwright and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. He is best known for his "Century Cycle," which is a landmark series of ten plays that chronicles the Black experience in America across each decade of the 20th century. By setting nine of these masterpieces in his childhood home of the Hill District, Wilson transformed Pittsburgh into a universal stage. This connection made the city both his creative wellspring and a permanent fixture in the global dramatic canon.
August Wilson on Screen: Bringing the Hill District to Hollywood
While August Wilson’s stories have graced the world's most prestigious stages, their transition to film has brought the "rhythm and grit" of Pittsburgh to a global cinematic audience. Directed by and starring…
August Wilson & Jazz: The Soundtrack of the Hill
Jazz and the Blues is the heartbeat of August Wilson’s writing. He famously said that the Blues provided the "cultural manual" for his life.
The Century Cycle: A Decade-by-Decade Masterpiece
August Wilson’s most enduring contribution to literature is the Century Cycle. While each play stands alone, together they form a cohesive narrative of Black life in America.
- Gem of the Ocean (1900s): A spiritual journey toward freedom and the legacy of slavery.
- Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1910s): A look at the Great Migration and the search for identity.
- Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1920s): The only play in the cycle set in Chicago, focusing on the exploitation of Black musicians.
- The Piano Lesson (1930s): Winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, exploring the conflict between honoring the past and building the future.
- Seven Guitars (1940s): A lyrical look at the dreams and struggles of a blues guitarist.
- Fences (1950s): Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award, depicting family dynamics and racial barriers in sports.
- Two Trains Running (1960s): A neighborhood restaurant serves as the backdrop for discussions on justice and civil rights.
- Jitney (1970s): Life at a vibrant, unlicensed taxi station during a period of urban renewal.
- King Hedley II (1980s): A gritty tragedy about a man’s attempt to rebuild his life in a decaying city.
- Radio Golf (1990s): The final play, focusing on the tension between middle-class success and heritage.
Accolades and Honors
Beyond his two Pulitzer Prizes (Fences, The Piano Lesson) and Tony Awards, Wilson was a frequent recipient of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards. His work has been translated into dozens of languages, establishing him as a global figure in dramatic literature.
Pittsburgh: The Mythic Landscape
August Wilson was raised in Pittsburgh's Hill District, and he drew heavily on the neighborhood’s cafés, bars, jitney stations, and streetscapes for his characters and stories. By doing so, he turned this specific Pittsburgh neighborhood into a mythic setting comparable to William Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County, proving that the specific is truly universal.
A Three-Stop Experience: August Wilson in Pittsburgh
August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Pittsburgh honors its most famous literary son through several world-class institutions and historic sites that visitors can explore today.
The August Wilson House
Preserving the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District.
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company is rooted in the African American community, and its mission is to produce the works of local racially and culturally diverse playwrights as well as Pittsburgh themed plays.
