A singular opportunity to hear August Wilson’s monumental “Century Cycle” begins tomorrow with readings in chronological order of the playwright’s truly epic dramatization of the African American experience in the 20th century.
Each decade of the century has a play, almost all of them are set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, where Wilson grew up. Nine plays plus an excerpt will be read through Oct. 6.
The readings of Wilson’s cycle comprise the first Cincinnati New Light Festival, the brainchild of actress Taylore Mahogany Scott, a woman with a dream.
Local audiences discovered Scott, who just turned 30, a few years back as a member of Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Young Company and she’s never severed ties although she hasn’t been an onstage regular. Scott is currently set to take the title role in the regional premiere of “Caroline, or Change” for New Stage Collective.
Scott who’s been working out of her native Texas for the last several months, says she’d still be here – “It’s a comfortable city, it has a Southern quality that I adore, I love the people” -- “but I couldn’t find a job here. If I could have found jobs, I probably would have stayed.”
The readings are free at The Greenwich (2442 Gilbert Ave.) starting with “The Gem of the Ocean,” which is set in the first decade of the 20th century, with characters who lived through slavery.
Scott happily accepts donations; she’s had a hard time with securing funding. Raising $$$ is difficult enough when you live here. It’s been almost impossible trying to raise money long distance, or cast, rehearse or hold unpaid casts together.
Yeah, says Scott, but Cincinnati needs what she’s trying to do – create opportunities for a diverse acting pool with quality work.
Scott has rounded up some of the best talent in the local African-American theater scene to join the readings, including DeOndre Means, Ken Early, Burgess Byrd, Curtis Shepard and more, and the always excellent Scott will come on stage for half of the readings.
Means was at the center of an excerpt of “Fences” at Play Around earlier this month, and he knocked it out of the park, with strong support from Shepard and Byrd.
All three are in “Gem.” While the engrossing “Gem” is the first in chronology, it was one of the last of the cycle written by Wilson before his death. As the plays became less natural and more magical, the mysteries of the neighborhood’s ancient “Aunt Esther” became more and more a mystery to be solved as the plays premiered one by one.
I’m a bit sad that Aunt Esther’s story will be laid out in the very first reading, but that just means we all have to get there. Yes, there’s already too much to do, but August Wilson is a national treasure, and this is a rare opportunity.
The final reading will be an excerpt of “Radio Golf,” which has its regional premiere in spring at Ensemble Theatre. And will be followed by a forum with Cincinnati City Council candidates, moderated by Scott. The topic will be “Strategies for Cincinnati Neighborhood Revitalization” which couldn’t be closer to these Hill District dramas.
Jackie Demaline
