August Wilson Not Well:
August Wilson, one of the shining stars of American dramatics has terminal liver cancer and reportedly, has 3-5 months to live. The two time Pultizer Prize winner has spend the last two decades on a ten play cycle, one for each decade, that chronicles the the African-American experience in the 20th century.
In honor of Wilson, the NY Times reported yesterday that the Virginia Theater will be renamed the August Wilson Theater this fall. It’s the first Broadway theater to be named after an African-American. The honor puts wilson in a league with stage icons like Eugene O-Neil, Helen Hayes and George Gershwin.
I’ve been lucky enough to see several of August Wilson’s plays including Two Trains Running (1960s), The Piano Lesson (1930s) and Seven Guitars (1940s). He and his work were a gift to American Theater. They both will be deeply missed.