Jitney is august wilsons first play, written in and about the late 1970s in pittsburghs hill district. Us only the first documentary about the tony and pulitzerwinning playwright august wilson includes unprecedented access to wilson s theatrical archives, rarely seen interviews and new. Poetry out loud massachusetts august wilson monologue competition codman academy. The ground on which i stand premieres nationwide friday, february 20, 910. Manhattan theatre clubs broadway debut of twotime pulitzer prize winner august wilson s jitney is directed by tony award winner ruben santiagohudson. The main characters in jitney are jim and booster becker, youngblood, and rena jim becker, a man in his sixties, is the jitney. Just prior to his death in 2005, august wilson, arguably the most important american.
The paint is peeling off the walls, and the floor is covered with linoleum that is worn through in several areas. Analysis and discussion of characters in august wilson s jitney. A jitney driver who is always interested in the business of others. Set in the 1970s in pittsburghs hill district, and depicting gypsy cabdrivers who serve black neighborhoods, jitney is the seventh in wilsons projected 10p. August wilsons jitney depicts the mundane and finds something. The setting is a gypsy cab station in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. He says that he will get a lawyer to file a petition, and the men agree that this is a good idea. Joe turners come and gone ma raineys black bottom the. Your voice, your community in your backyard august wilson developed the characters in jitney from listening to the everyday conversations of people in his neighborhood, the hill district of pittsburgh. Jitney is a play that takes place in pittsburgh, pennsylvania in the 1970s. In the middle of the wall stage left sits an oldfashioned potbellied stove that dominates the room. Once august wilson acquired the mantle of great american playwright, some time around the occasion of his 1987 pulitzer and.
The eighth in his pittsburgh cycle, this play is set in a worndown gypsy cab station in pittsburgh, pennsylvania, in early autumn 1977. When playwright august wilson premiered jitney in 1982 at pittsburghs allegheny repertory theatre, he escorted his mother to the performance in a jitney cab, a. It now comes to the old globe stage with a director and cast that are part of wilson s extended theater family. Conversation sings and swings, bends and bounces and hits heaven smack in the clouds, in the glorious new production of august wilson s jitney.
August wilsons jitney still strikes a chord 37 years later. August wilson s jitney, the 2017 tony awardwinning production directed by ruben santiagohudson, opens arena stages season with the dramatic story of a pittsburgh jitney station, a symbol of stability, struggling against an oppressive lack of opportunity and unnerving. Jitney is august wilsons first play, written in and about the late 1970s in. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Twotime pulitzer prize winner august wilson s deeply funny play jitney follows a group of men trying to eke out a living by driving unlicensed cabs in 1970s pittsburgh. Jitney was the first play august wilson wrote but the last to make it to broadway. August wilsons jitney depicts the mundane and finds. Jitney 1 act one scene 1 the time is early fall, 1977. Wilsons ten play cycle which are two trains running 1960s, jitney. Part of the august wilson festival august wilsons jitney. Go on a listening expedition to find interesting characters and voices in your neighborhood. When the city threatens to board up the business, secrets are revealed, tempers flare, and the fragile ties that bind these lives together threaten to come undone.
A meaningful drive with jitney playwright august wilson made his long overdue return to the playhouse in the park stage thursday evening. Two transi running jitney king hedley ii radio golf. At the outset of 1980s, he was termed as the voice of african american theatre. Pdf august wilson is the outstanding dramatist of 1980s.
August wilson was an awardwinning american playwright who chronicled the african american experience through a series of ten plays. A longtime jitney driver and a veteran of the korean war. August wilson is outstanding and unique figure who is considered as a. Contesting black male responsibilities in august wilsons jitney. The action takes place in a rundown station of a gypsy cab company. A man named becker owned a gypsy cab company named jitney, but the city will tear down the building where he operated. The eighth in his pittsburgh cycle, this play is set in a. The old globe theatre is currently staging august wilsons jitney, a play set in. Becker, who runs the station, is a worldweary man of a certain age who has just received a pair of bitter blows.