August Wilson Headshot

August Wilson

Date of Death: October 02, 2005 (60)

Birth Place: Pittsburgh, PA, USA


August Wilson BIO

August Wilson was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays collectively called The Pittsburgh Cycle, which chronicle the experiences and heritage of the African-American community in the 20th century. Plays in the series include, Jitney (1982), Fences (1984), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1986), The Piano Lesson (1987), King Hedley II (1999). Two of his plays received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and two of his other works won the Tony Award for Best Play. In 2006 Wilson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

August Wilson Photos

August Wilson Awards and Nominations

Drama Desk Awards - 2007 - Outstanding Play

August Wilson, Radio Golf


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 2007 - Best American Play

August Wilson, Radio Golf

Tony Awards - 2007 - Best Play

August Wilson, Radio Golf

Tony Awards - 2005 - Best Play

August Wilson, Gem of the Ocean


winner
Olivier Awards - 2002 - The BBC Award for Best New Play

August WilsonJitney

Tony Awards - 2001 - Best Play

August Wilson, King Hedley II


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 2000 - Outstanding New Play

August Wilson, Jitne


winner
Helen Hayes Awards - 2000 - The American Express Tribute

August Wilson


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 2000 - Best Play

August Wilson, Jitney

The Pulitzer Prize - 2000 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, King Hedley II

The Pulitzer Prize - 2000 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, King Hedley II


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1996 - Best Play

August Wilson, Seven Guitars

Tony Awards - 1996 - Best Play

August Wilson, Seven Guitars

The Pulitzer Prize - 1995 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, Seven Guitars


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1992 - Best American Play

August Wilson, Two Trains Running

The Pulitzer Prize - 1992 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, Two Trains Running

Tony Awards - 1992 - Best Play

August Wilson, Two Trains Running


winner
Drama Desk Awards - 1990 - Outstanding New Play

August Wilson, The Piano Lesson


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1990 - Best Play

August Wilson, The Piano Lesson


winner
The Pulitzer Prize - 1990 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August WilsonThe Piano Lesson

Tony Awards - 1990 - Best Play

August Wilson, The Piano Lesson

The Pulitzer Prize - 1989 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, The Piano Lesson

Drama Desk Awards - 1988 - Outstanding New Play

August Wilson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1988 - Best Play

August Wilson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Tony Awards - 1988 - Best Play

August Wilson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1987 - Best Play

August Wilson, Fences


winner
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 1987 - John Gassner Playwriting Award

August Wilson, Fences


winner
The Pulitzer Prize - 1987 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama

August Wilson, Fences


winner
Tony Awards - 1987 - Best Play

August Wilson, Fences

Drama Desk Awards - 1985 - Outstanding Play

August Wilson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1985 - Best Play

August Wilson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Tony Awards - 1985 - Best Play

August Wilson, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

August Wilson Videos

August Wilson News


Steve H. Broadnax III and More Will Lead JITNEY at Arkansas Repertory Theatre Photo
Steve H. Broadnax III and More Will Lead JITNEY at Arkansas Repertory Theatre

JITNEY by August Wilson is headed to Arkansas Repertory Theatre next month. Performances will run August 6-18, 2024. Among the cast will be Broadway director Steve H. Broadnax III who will play the role of Doub.
Tickets On Sale Now For Two Shows Returning to Playhouse Square This Fall Photo
Tickets On Sale Now For Two Shows Returning to Playhouse Square This Fall

Tickets are available now for the return of Mean Girls and Les Miserables to Playhouse Square this fall. Learn more about the shows!
MEAN GIRLS North American Tour Unveils Company for Upcoming Season Photo
MEAN GIRLS North American Tour Unveils Company for Upcoming Season

The full cast has been revealed for the upcoming second year of the Mean Girls North American Tour. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.
Review: Jobsite Theater's THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at the Jaeb - 'Don't Dream It, Be It! Photo
Review: Jobsite Theater's THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at the Jaeb - 'Don't Dream It, Be It!'

With a cast led by Clay Christopher as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, this is one glorious production that will be talked about for years.
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld July 15, 2024 Photo
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld July 15, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is July 15, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
Meet CABARET's 'Emcee' Understudies, David Merino and Marty Lauter Photo
Meet CABARET's 'Emcee' Understudies, David Merino and Marty Lauter

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre has released the performance schedule for understudies David Merino and Marty Lauter, who will alternate the role of ‘Emcee’ through the end of August.
Review Roundup: OH, MARY! Opens On Broadway Photo
Review Roundup: OH, MARY! Opens On Broadway

Cole Escola’s Oh, Mary! opens tonight at the Lyceum Theatre, following a sold out, twice extended world premiere run at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
Y. Dolly Fox Joins Producing Team For DOROTHY DANDRIDGE! THE MUSICAL Photo
Y. Dolly Fox Joins Producing Team For DOROTHY DANDRIDGE! THE MUSICAL

Y. Dolly Fox joined the producer team for DOROTHY DANDRIDGE! THE MUSICAL. Learn more about the show!
Review: THE COLORED MUSEUM at Studio Theatre Photo
Review: THE COLORED MUSEUM at Studio Theatre

It’s hard to imagine the impact George C. Wolfe’s razor-sharp satire “The Colored Museum” must have had when it opened in New York nearly 40 years ago. 
Cast Set For THE ANGEL NEXT DOOR at Peninsula Players Theatre Photo
Cast Set For THE ANGEL NEXT DOOR at Peninsula Players Theatre

Peninsula Players Theatre has announced the cast of Paul Slade Smith’s comedy “The Angel Next Door.”  This whirlwind comedy makes its Midwest premiere, adding to Smith’s repertoire of side-splitting comedies.  “The Angel Next Door” runs for three weeks, starting July 10 through July 28.
Roc Bernadí, Diana Roig y Oriol Burés protagonizarán EL DÍA DE LA MARMOTA Photo
Roc Bernadí, Diana Roig y Oriol Burés protagonizarán EL DÍA DE LA MARMOTA

Producido por Nostromo Live, el musical se estrenará en diciembre en el Coliseum de Barcelona.
Interview: 'From The Outside, It Looks Impossible': Director Tinuke Craig on Rep Thea Photo
Interview: 'From The Outside, It Looks Impossible': Director Tinuke Craig on Rep Theatre, Genre-Jumping and THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL at the RSC

Few directors are as comfortable helming a sparkly winter panto as they are a psychologically gruelling Sarah Kane play. But few directors have credits as varied as Tinuke Craig. A former Bayliss Associate at The Old Vic, she is now making her RSC directorial debut with Richard Sheridan’s The School for Scandal, a restoration comedy written in 1777. 247 years later – what can it tell us today?
Shakespeare & Company to Present THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Beginning Next Week Photo
Shakespeare & Company to Present THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Beginning Next Week

William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors takes over Shakespeare & Company's outdoor mainstage this summer, directed by Kate Kohler Amory July 13 through August 18 at the Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre.
1st Stage Unveils 2024-2025 Season, Kicking Off With LOGAN FESTIVAL OF SOLO PERFORMAN Photo
1st Stage Unveils 2024-2025 Season, Kicking Off With LOGAN FESTIVAL OF SOLO PERFORMANCE

1st Stage will kick off the 2024-2025 season with the Logan Festival of Solo Performance. Learn more about the season!
Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans to Host Free Reading of Kelley Nicole Girod's A BODY  Photo
Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans to Host Free Reading of Kelley Nicole Girod's A BODY OF WATER

Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans will host a free reading of Kelley Nicole Girod's play A BODY OF WATER. The play, set during the 2016 Baton Rouge flood, explores themes of family, crisis, and resilience. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Court Theatre to Present Free Spotlight Reading Series Beginning Next Month Photo
Court Theatre to Present Free Spotlight Reading Series Beginning Next Month

Court Theatre will present the Spotlight Reading Series, featuring works authored and inspired by Lorraine Hansberry. This year's series will explore her literary and political voice as a playwright, an activist, and a queer author from Chicago's South Side.  
MEAN GIRLS to Play The Majestic Theatre This Fall; Tickets Now on Sale Photo
MEAN GIRLS to Play The Majestic Theatre This Fall; Tickets Now on Sale

Broadway in San Antonio at the Majestic Theatre has announced that single tickets to the much anticipated return of MEAN GIRLS are officially on-sale to the public. MEAN GIRLS will play for three days only beginning November 8 through November 10, 2024. Opening night is set for Friday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. 
Getty And The Classical Theatre Of Harlem Present MEMNON Photo
Getty And The Classical Theatre Of Harlem Present MEMNON

The Getty Villa Museum and the Classical Theatre of Harlem collaborate to present MEMNON, an engaging outdoor theater production. Tickets are available starting July 1.
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld June 28, 2024 Photo
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld June 28, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is June 28, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB Reveals Schedule for 'Emcee' & 'Sally Bowles' Alternates Photo
CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB Reveals Schedule for 'Emcee' & 'Sally Bowles' Alternates

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club at the August Wilson Theatre has revealed performance schedule for the alternates playing the roles of the ‘Emcee’ and ‘Sally Bowles’ through the end of August.

August Wilson FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many shows has August Wilson written?

August Wilson has written 15 shows including Fences (Playwright), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Playwright), Urban Blight (Bookwriter), The Piano Lesson (Playwright), Two Trains Running (Playwright), Seven Guitars (Playwright), Jitney (Playwright), King Hedley II (Playwright), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Playwright), Gem of the Ocean (Playwright), Seven Guitars (Playwright), Two Trains Running (Playwright), King Hedley II (Playwright), Radio Golf (Playwright), How I Learned What I Learned (Playwright).

What awards has August Wilson been nominated for?

August Wilson has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. Some of the notable nominations include Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for "Radio Golf," Best American Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Radio Golf," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Radio Golf," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Gem of the Ocean," The BBC Award for Best New Play (Olivier Awards) for "Jitney," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "King Hedley II," Outstanding New Play (Drama Desk Awards) for "Jitney," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Jitney," The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for "King Hedley II," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Seven Guitars," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Seven Guitars," The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for "Seven Guitars," Best American Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Two Trains Running," The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for "Two Trains Running," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Two Trains Running," Outstanding New Play (Drama Desk Awards) for "The Piano Lesson," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "The Piano Lesson," The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for "The Piano Lesson," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "The Piano Lesson," Outstanding New Play (Drama Desk Awards) for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Fences," John Gassner Playwriting Award (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for "Fences," The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for "Fences," Outstanding Play (Drama Desk Awards) for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," Best Play (New York Drama Critics Circle Awards) for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and Best Play (Tony Awards) for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

What awards has August Wilson won?

August Wilson has won several awards for his plays. Some of his notable awards include the Best American Play from the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for "Radio Golf," the BBC Award for Best New Play from the Olivier Awards for "Jitney," and the Outstanding New Play from the Drama Desk Awards for "Jitney." He has also received the American Express Tribute from the Helen Hayes Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "The Piano Lesson" and "Fences," and the John Gassner Playwriting Award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for "Fences." Additionally, Wilson has won multiple Best Play awards from the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for plays such as "Jitney," "Seven Guitars," "Two Trains Running," "The Piano Lesson," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."