Notes on the August Wilson American Century Cycle

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A podcast on Jitney, August Wilson, and the American Century Cycle
A friend interviewed me for a podcast which she just published at Morley College (U.K.). Here is a link to the podcast along with a blurb she put…
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Raymond Maxwell

March 2023

February 2023

December 2022

Notes of Radio Golf for the DCPL book club. 12/15/2022
Some notes on Radio Golf, the final play in the American Century Cycle. When August Wilson started writing serious plays in the 1980’s, journalists…
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Raymond Maxwell
Notes on Gem of the Ocean for the DCPL study group. December 11, 2022
Wilson dedicated Gem of the Ocean to his two daughters, Sakina and Azula. To me, that dedication indicated Wilson’s intent that the play be one for…
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Raymond Maxwell
Fences by National Players at Hyattsville Publick Playhouse – December 9, 2022
Last night (Friday, December 9, 2022) Filomena and I met old friends Val and Doug at Publick Playhouse in Hyattsville, MD for a National Players…
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Raymond Maxwell
Jitney at DCPL: notes. 10062022
Session #8, October, 2022 It is our first meeting under the auspices of DC Public Library, this first play written in the August Wilson American Century…
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Raymond Maxwell
Week #11 – August Wilson’s American Century Cycle at DCPL. Closing Arguments, The Final Exam
August Wilson American Century Cycle – September 29, 2021. Day 1, Synopsis, clips and mapping the influences (4B’s). August Wilson American Century…
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Raymond Maxwell
Notes on King Hedley II for DCPL. 12/01/2022
Wilson dedicated the play to his mentors and colleagues, to Rob Penny and Nicholas Flournoy and Chawley Williams, all cofounders with Wilson of the…
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Raymond Maxwell

November 2022

Notes on Seven Guitars for DCPL study group. 11172022.
No matter how hard you look or how much latitude you allow in terms of definition, you will never find seven guitars in this play. There are no seven…
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Raymond Maxwell
Notes on Two Trains Running for DCPL study group. 11102022
My starting queue is the opening epigram of the play, “This one’s for Judy.” I take that to be a veiled (perhaps not-so-veiled reference) to Wilson’s…
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Raymond Maxwell
Notes on The Piano Lesson for the DCPL study group (excerpt from a blog post and some random thoughts)
Dramaturg Joan Herrington reported that as soon as Wilson saw the silk screen of Romare Bearden’s Piano Lesson he told a friend that it would be his…
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Raymond Maxwell
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