August Wilson

Personal Information
AUGUST WILSON (April 27, 1945-October 2, 2005)

August Wilson authored Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Fences, Two Trains Running, Jitney, King Hedley II, and Radio Golf. These works explore the heritage and experience of African-Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century. His plays have been produced at regional theaters across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway. In 2003, Mr. Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show, How I Learned What I Learned. Mr. Wilson’s works garnered many awards including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences (1987); and for 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 included 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 Playwrighting, the Whiting Writers Award, 2003 Heinz Award, was awarded a 1999 National Humanities Medal by the President of the United States, and received 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, a 1995 inductee into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and on October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street - The August Wilson Theatre. Additionally, Mr. Wilson was posthumously inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame in 2007.

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 immediately survived by his two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero.
 
Credits

Author
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 How I Learned What I Learned Pershing Square Signature Center/ The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre 11/24/2013 Playwright
2 The Piano Lesson Pershing Square Signature Center/ Irene Diamond Stage 11/18/2012 Playwright
3 King Hedley II Peter Norton Space 03/11/2007 Playwright
4 Two Trains Running Peter Norton Space 12/03/2006 Playwright
5 Seven Guitars Peter Norton Space 08/24/2006 Playwright
6 Jitney Second Stage Theatre 04/25/2000 Playwright
7 Urban Blight New York City Center/ Stage I 05/18/1988 Book
Awards
Award Production Function
1 WON 2013 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival The Piano Lesson Playwright
2 WON 2013 AUDELCO Award, Revival The Piano Lesson Playwright
3 NOMINATED 2013 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Revival of a Musical The Piano Lesson Playwright
4 NOMINATED 2013 Off Broadway Alliance Award, Best Play Revival The Piano Lesson Playwright
5 NOMINATED 2013 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Revival of a Play The Piano Lesson Playwright
6 WON 2007 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival Two Trains Running Playwright
7 NOMINATED 2007 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival King Hedley II Playwright
8 WON 2006 AUDELCO Award, Dramatic Production of the Year Seven Guitars Playwright
9 NOMINATED 2001 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Play Jitney Playwright
10 WON 2000 Drama Critics' Circle Award, Best Play Jitney Playwright