## August Wilson’s Enduring Legacy: From Pittsburgh Stage to Hollywood Screen
On January 7th, August Wilson received a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This honor fittingly recognizes the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright as one of the most celebrated and impactful American storytellers of the past half-century. The irony, however, lies in the Hollywood setting itself. Contrary to his immense influence on film, Wilson, according to his widow Constanza Romero, was not a devoted movie enthusiast in his personal life. While Romero recalls their enjoyment of thrillers and films featuring Meryl Streep, and a fondness for early works by Black filmmakers and those incorporating music and Black talent, Wilson remained largely outside the world of cinema. A 2001 *New Yorker* article even stated he saw only two films between 1980 and 1991.
Despite his personal preference, Wilson’s monumental “American Century Cycle,” a groundbreaking series of ten plays, each depicting a different decade of the 20th century and primarily set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, transcends genre boundaries. This epic work portrays Black lives with unparalleled complexity, dignity, and a touch of magical realism. From his 1984 Broadway debut with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” to masterpieces like “Fences,” “The Piano Lesson,” and “Seven Guitars,” Wilson’s plays launched the careers of numerous actors who would later become Hollywood A-listers. Now, with Netflix’s recent adaptation of “The Piano Lesson” leading the way, a comprehensive effort to bring all ten plays to the screen promises to solidify Wilson’s cinematic legacy.
Viola Davis, an EGOT winner who first appeared in Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” and subsequently won a Tony for “King Hedley II” and an Oscar for her performance in the film adaptation of “Fences,” powerfully articulates Wilson’s impact: “August Wilson represents home. He…commands us to pay attention. They’re honest, unflinching, tragic, humorous. They are all alive. He is our griot, our keeper of history. He left love in its truest form.” Davis is one among many prominent actors whose careers were significantly boosted by their roles in Wilson’s plays. Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, and Charles S. Dutton all found early success on the Wilson stage, launching them to Hollywood stardom. Denzel Washington’s Tony-winning performance in “Fences,” which he later directed and starred in as a film, solidified his commitment to seeing all ten plays adapted for the big screen – a family affair, as his son John David Washington starred in the recent Broadway revival and film adaptation of “The Piano Lesson,” directed by his brother Malcolm.
Malcolm Washington eloquently explains the enduring appeal of Wilson’s work for cinematic adaptation: “What I love about Wilson’s work is that it’s art of the finest caliber that communicates and reflects a community and a people…His characters are so well-drawn, so dynamic and so well-rounded, and almost all of them carry contradictions in them. I think that works so well in film adaptations because you can explore that kind of interiority that exists inside each of these characters and bring it out with the tools of cinema.” “The Piano Lesson,” a 1930s-set drama focusing on a brother and sister’s conflict over a haunted family heirloom piano, serves as a microcosm of Wilson’s overarching themes: the vibrant voices of everyday Black life, the enduring weight of historical injustice, and the universal aspects of the human experience, all interwoven with threads of spirituality and the supernatural.
While the recent film adaptations of “Fences,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Piano Lesson” mark a significant step in Wilson’s cinematic journey, they are not the first attempts to bring his work to the screen. Even in the late 1980s, when a studio optioned “Fences,” Wilson’s unwavering commitment to Black voices led him to insist on a Black director—a condition that ultimately prevented the film from being made.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1945, Wilson’s journey was one of self-education and unwavering advocacy. After leaving high school following an accusation of plagiarism, he continued his studies at the local library, immersing himself in the vibrant culture of the Hill District, the setting for much of his work. There, he cultivated a deep appreciation for the music and inner lives of the community. Viola Davis recalls being deeply touched by the love Wilson showed her parents, stating, “To the world, they were two Black people of limited education, but to August, they were gold!”
After early struggles establishing himself as a poet, Wilson found his true calling in playwriting. His career skyrocketed after “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was accepted into the Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference, where he met the influential director Lloyd Richards, who went on to direct several of his plays. Wilson’s subsequent plays, often developed through pre-Broadway productions across the country, cemented his reputation as a fierce advocate for Black theater, culminating in his renowned debate with Robert Brustein.
His prolific career was marked by numerous accolades, including two Pulitzer Prizes, a Tony Award, and seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. After his death in 2005, Broadway’s Virginia Theatre was renamed the August Wilson Theatre, the first Broadway house named after a Black theatrical figure.
With more adaptations of the “American Century Cycle” on the horizon, Wilson’s legacy continues to expand. As Constanza Romero poignantly states, “With these films and how beautiful they each have turned out so far, I’m hoping that this is a sign of August’s work being appreciated on a larger scale and on a level that stands the test of time.” His profound impact on both stage and screen ensures his stories will continue to resonate for generations to come.