-
Birth of August Wilson
August Wilson was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in the Hill District community to his mom Daisy Wilson Kittel (African American) and his father Frederick Kittel (German). After his father left, August was raised by his mother with his five siblings. -
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 turning to poetry. -
Period: to
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. -
Changing Name
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's decision in co-funding the Black Horizons Theatre with his friend Rob Penny had a major influence on African American theatre. The theatre's plays gained attention from upper-level individuals who were finding interest in history and changing their perspective on everyday African American struggles. -
Marriage #1
August gets married to his first wife named Brenda Burton a member of the Nation of Islam but then divorced her 3 years later. -
Firstborn
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. -
Second Marriage
August then married Judy Oliver, who was a social worker, but then got divorced in 1990. -
Production of Jitney
Jitney was produced in Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Repertory Theatre, where it is accepted at the O’Neill Theater Center. He then met Loyd Richards (a director) which later on directs August's Broadway plays. -
Fences Premiere
The play Fences premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre, telling the story of a former Negro League baseball player working as a sanitation worker and the struggles he faced at that time. -
Fences on Brodway
Fences 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 -
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
The third play on Broadway was Joe Turner’s Come and Gone premiers and wins the New York Drama Critics Circle Award also nominated for several Tony awards. -
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, awarding Wilson another New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for the best American play and outstanding debut performances 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. -
Seven Guitars
The play Seven Guitars had been nominated for 3 Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize. The actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson won a Tony for best actor. It also had won the sixth New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play. -
Second Daughter
Azula Carmen Wilson was Wilson's second daughter. Her mother was Constanza Romero, a costume designer. Constanza was Wilson's third wife, and they met at the Yale School of Drama. -
High School Diploma
The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh gave August an honorary high school diploma for the amount of time he spent there. -
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.