King Hedley II
Encyclopedia
King Hedley II is a play by American playwright August Wilson
, the ninth in his ten-part series, The Pittsburgh Cycle. This is the ninth of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each from a different era. The play ran on Broadway in 2001 and was revived Off-Broadway in 2007.
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
on December 11, 1999, and played a number of other regional theaters, including Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington before its Broadway engagement.
The play opened on Broadway
at the Virginia Theatre on May 1, 2001 and closed on July 1, 2001 after 72 performances and 24 previews. Directed by Marion McClinton
, the cast featured Brian Stokes Mitchell
(King), Leslie Uggams
(Ruby), Charles Brown (Elmore), Viola Davis
(Tonya), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Stool Pigeon), and Monté Russell (Mister).
The play ran off-Broadway
at the Peter Norton Space, New York City, in a Signature Theatre Company
production, from March 11, 2007 through April 22, 2007, in a season that featured Wilson's work.
Set in 1980s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, it tells the story of an ex-con in Pittsburgh trying to rebuild his life. The play has been described as one of Wilson's darkest, telling the tale of a man trying to save $10,000 by selling stolen refrigerators so that he can buy a video store, as well as revisiting stories of other characters initially presented in Seven Guitars
.
2007 Off-Broadway
August Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
, the ninth in his ten-part series, The Pittsburgh Cycle. This is the ninth of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each from a different era. The play ran on Broadway in 2001 and was revived Off-Broadway in 2007.
Productions
King Hedley II premiered at the Pittsburgh Public TheaterPittsburgh Public Theater
Pittsburgh Public Theater is a professional theater company based in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Cultural District.Established in 1974, it was housed in the Hazlett Theatre at the Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall on Pittsburgh’s North Side...
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
on December 11, 1999, and played a number of other regional theaters, including Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington before its Broadway engagement.
The play opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Virginia Theatre on May 1, 2001 and closed on July 1, 2001 after 72 performances and 24 previews. Directed by Marion McClinton
Marion McClinton
Marion McClinton is a theatre director and playwright. He was nominated for the Tony Award for King Hedley II. He won the 2000 Vivian Robinson Audelco Black Theatre Awards, Director/Dramatic Production and the 1999–2000 Obie Awards, Direction, for Jitney, and was nominated for the Drama Desk...
, the cast featured Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell is an American stage, film and television actor. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theatre since the early 1990s...
(King), Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her work in Hallelujah, Baby! She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.-Singing:...
(Ruby), Charles Brown (Elmore), Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
(Tonya), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Stool Pigeon), and Monté Russell (Mister).
The play ran off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Peter Norton Space, New York City, in a Signature Theatre Company
Signature Theatre Company
Signature Theatre Company, founded in 1991 by James Houghton, exists to honor and celebrate the playwright. Signature makes an extended commitment to a playwright’s body of work, and during this journey, the writer is engaged in every aspect of the creative process...
production, from March 11, 2007 through April 22, 2007, in a season that featured Wilson's work.
Plot synopsis
Characters- Tonya
- Ruby
- Elmore
- King
- Mister
- Stool Pigeon
Set in 1980s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, it tells the story of an ex-con in Pittsburgh trying to rebuild his life. The play has been described as one of Wilson's darkest, telling the tale of a man trying to save $10,000 by selling stolen refrigerators so that he can buy a video store, as well as revisiting stories of other characters initially presented in Seven Guitars
Seven Guitars
Seven Guitars is a 1995 play by American playwright, August Wilson. It focuses on seven African American characters in the year 1948. The play begins and ends after the funeral of one of the main characters, showing events leading to the funeral in flashbacks...
.
Awards and nominations
2001 Broadway- Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2000 finalist)
- Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Play (nomination) - Tony Award, Best Actor in a Play (Brian Stokes Mitchell)(nomination)
- Tony Award, Best Actress in a Play (Leslie Uggams) (nomination)
- Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Play (Charles Brown)(nomination)
- Tony Award, Best Featured Actress in a Play, (Viola Davis) (WINNER)
- Tony Award, Best Direction of a Play (Marion McClinton) (nomination)
- Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Best Play (nomination) - Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play (Mitchell) (nomination)
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Brown) (nomination)
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Davis) (WINNER)
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Set Design of a Play (David GalloDavid GalloDavid Gallo is an American scenic designer and projection designer for Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and international theatre venues...
) (nomination)
2007 Off-Broadway
- Audelco Award Dramatic Production of the Year (nomination)
- Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival (nomination)