August Wilson

August Wilson once dropped out of school, disillusioned after having been unjustly accused of plagiarism by a racist instructor who could not fathom the artistic and intellectual genius of a then young Black male writer. Wilson was not disillusioned forever. Having now completed a decade by decade cycle of seven plays that illustrate the complexity, problems, and beauty of Black American life, Wilson sits at the pinnacle of American playwrights who have achieved world-renown. He first became involved in theatre in the late 1960s when he co-founded the Black Horizons Theater which was a community theatre located in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. His first professional production was "Black Bart and the Sacred Hills" which was based on an earlier series of poems. "Black Bart. . . " was produced at St.

1965: Changed his name from Frederick August Kittel to August Wilson after his father's death.

Paul's Penumbra Theatre in 1981. Wilson's breakthrough occurred when Lloyd Richards--then Dean and Artistic Director of the Yale Repertory Theatre--brought Wilson to the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and premiered his plays at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Richards, the only Black American at Yale to have a Department Chair named for him, was a major influence on and expert collaborator with Wilson, who used Yale as a workshop for developing many of his productions. To date, his plays have been staged on Broadway and at regional theatres across the United States.

Won Broadway's 1987 Tony Award as author of Best Play winner "Fences." He has also been nominated six other times as author of a Best Play nominee: in 1985 for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," in 1988 for "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," in 1990 for "The Piano Lesson," in 1992 for "Two Trains Running," in 1996 for "Seven Guitars," and in 2001 for "King Hedley II."

His play,"The Piano Lesson" at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre production at the James A. Doolittle Theatre (University of California) in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 1990 Drama-Logue Award for Production.

He was awarded the 1996 Drama Logue Award for Writing. of "Seven Guitars" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

He and his wife, costume designer Constanza Romero, had one daughter, Azula Carmen Wilson, in 1997. Wilson and his first wife, Brenda Burton, had a daughter, Sakina Ansari, in 1969.

The cast of "Jitney" (off-Broadway in New York City) was awarded the 1999-2000 OBIE Award for Excellence for Ensemble Cast.

His play, "Jitney," at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California was awarded the 2000 Back Stage Garland Award for Production.

His play, "King Hedley II," on Broadway in New York City was nominated for a 2001 Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for Best Play.

2002: His play "Jitney", performed at the Royal National Theatre: Lyttelton, was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Play of 2002.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 574-576. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

His play, "Seven Guitars", at the Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was awarded the 2005 Joseph Jefferson Award for Play Production.

He was awarded the 2007 NAACP Theatre Award for Playwriting for "Radio Golf" at the Mark Taper Forum Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

His play, "The Piano Lesson", at the Court Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2009 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production of a Play (Large).

His play, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", at the Court Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2010 Joseph Jefferson Award for Production of a Play-Large.

His play, "Jitney," at the Court Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2013 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Large Play Production.

His play, "King Hedley II" at the Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2014 Joseph Jefferson Equity Award for Midsize Play Production.

Received a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best screenplay for the 2016 film "Fences".

His play, "Jitney" at the Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2018 Joseph Jefferson Equity Awards for Midsize Play Production and Play Ensemble.

His play, "Radio Golf" at the Court Theatre in Chicago, Illinois was nominated for a 2019 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Large Play Production.