For many, the only relationship they have with August Wilson is through movies based on his plays: The Piano Lesson, Oscar®-winning Fences and most recently Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, starring Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, both nominated for Academy Awards® in their roles. Those movies are just a slice of the breadth of... Continue Reading →
Honor Thy Father? It’s Complicated.
Many of us observed Father’s Day last Sunday, which prompted us to take a broad sweep through some canonical plays to see how fathers and fatherhood fare. The answer: not good. In fact, it’s so bad it would be funny if it weren’t so tragic. So, let’s take a look at some of the Great... Continue Reading →
Everything the Light Touches is His Kingdom
James Earl Jones receives the Lifetime Achievement in Theater recognition at the Tony Awards this year. In 1957, during his first week in New York as a wannabe actor, James Earl Jones saw these shows: Night one: Tosca starring Leontyne Price Night two: Swan Lake starring Margot Fontaine Night three: Pal Joey Night four: Arthur... Continue Reading →