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Birth of August Wilson
August Wilson was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to his mom Daisy Wilson Kittel (African American) and his father Frederick Kittel (German). -
Education
August (15) was given an essay to do on a historical individual. He was then later accused of plagiarism which had made him dropout. He started learning on his own and turned to poetry. -
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Four B's
Throughout his whole life August was inspired what he called the four b's. This was Blues music, Jorge Luis Borges who was a poet and writer, painter Bearden, and playwriter Amiri Baraka. -
Name Change
After August's father had passed away he changed his name from Kittel to Wilson to honor his mothers name and declared himself a poet. -
Co-founder
August decision in co-funding the Black Horizons Theatre with his friend Rob Penny have a major influence on African American theatre. The theatre plays gain attention from upper-level individuals who liked the history. -
Marriage #1
August gets married to his first wife named Brenda Burton but then divorced her 3 years later. -
Daughter is Born
A year after Brenda and August got married they had a daughter named Sakina Ansari Wilson. -
First Play
After August had moved up to St. Paul Minnesota, he wrote his first play called Jitney that had earned him a fellowship at the Minneapolis Playwright Center.
https://www.chelmsfordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12063/August-Wilson-#:~:text=August%20Wilson%20wrote%20his%20first%20play%2C%20Jitney%2C%20in%201979. -
Marriage #2
August then married Judy Oliver, who was a social worker, but then got divorce in 1990. -
Production of Jitney
Jitney was produced in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Repertory Theatre, where it is accepted at the O’Neill Theater Center and met Loyd Richards (a director) which later on directs August's Broadway plays. -
Fences Premiere
The play Fences tells a story about a former Negro League Baseball player working as sanitation worker premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre. -
Fences on Broday
Fences was opened on Broadway and had won a Pulitzer Prize in drama for a distinguished play by an American author who deals with an American life.
https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/august-wilson -
Second Production on Broadway
The second play on Broad way was Joe Turner’s Come and Gone premiers and wins the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. -
The Piano Lesson
The Yale Prep premiers the play The Piano Lesson which then awards Wilson as the Pittsburgher of the Year.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/#:~:text=His%20mother%20raised%20Wilson%20and,school%20in%20his%20early%20teens. -
Broadway The Piano Lesson
The play the Piano Lesson opens on Broadway which then gives August his fourth New York Drama Critics Circle Award and his second Pulitzer Prize.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/#:~:text=His%20mother%20raised%20Wilson%20and,school%20in%20his%20early%20teens. -
Two Trains
Once again his play Two trains opens on Broadway which awards Willison with another New York Drama Critics Circle Award for having the best American play.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-august-wilsonbiography-and-career-timeline/3683/#:~:text=His%20mother%20raised%20Wilson%20and,school%20in%20his%20early%20teens. -
Last Play
Radio Golf was Wilsons last play of the Century Cycle which premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre before he was diagnosed. -
Death of August
August Wilson died at the age of 60. He was diagnosed with liver cancer in the summer and had only some months to live.