August in October

I'm slowly _ very slowly _ working my way through August Wilson's Century Cycle, 10 play chronicling the experience of African Americans in the United States, one play set in each decade.

As a guy who writes about stage, I probably should have read _ or seen _ every one of these plays some time ago. Hasn't happened. Thanks to a relationship that Wilson had established with Center Theatre Group and former Artistic Director Gordon Davidson, many of Wilson's plays got early stagings in L.A (usually after productions at Yale Rep) before proceeding to New York. Or else we got them on tour.

It was in this manner that I saw "Gem of the Ocean" and his last play, "Radio Golf." "King Hedley II" also premiered here, and _ idiot that I was _ I didn't see it. I did, however, get the chance to talk to Wilson who chain smoked his way through a very cool interview and recited me a poem that he had penned to his daughter.

Anyhoo, Wilson died _ quite untimely _ in October 2005 at the age of 60, his remarkable cycle complete. Quite naturally, his death prompted theater companies around the nation to revive many of his plays including the ones that weren't always in regular circulation. Pasadena, it may be remembered, staged a pretty high profile revival of "Fences" with Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.

The Theatre Communications Group also released the entire Century Cycle in a hardback boxed set, and I got my hands on a copy. It ain't cheap (around $200), but it's got a cool forwards for each volume from people like Phylicia Rashad, Romulus Linney, Suzan-Lori Parks, Toni Morrison, etc. The series introduction is by New Yorker theater critic John Lahr.

I've now read the first two and am about to start "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

More importantly, I've seen productions of "Gem of the Ocean," "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," "The Piano Lesson," "Fences" (3 times), "Jitney" and "Radio Golf."

Stagings of two of Wilson's plays are coming to nearby theaters in the weeks ahead.

The Fountain Theatre will revive "Gem of the Ocean," the play set in 1904 that has Citizen Barlow coming to a boarding house in Wilson's Hill District seeking help from 287 year old soul cleanser, Aunt Ester.

The production is directed by Ben Bradley who did a fantastic job with Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" a couple of years ago. It runs through Nov. 16 at the Fountain. (323) 663-1525 www.foutaintheatre.com.

That same weekend, the Ebony Repertory Theatre presents its inaugural performance of Wilson's "Two Trains Running" (Previews actually begin Oct. 8, but I'm into synchronicity). "Two Trains," which won Laurence Fishburne a Tony award, is set in a restaurant in the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1969. It's considered one of Wilson's more political plays.

"Two Trains Running," directed by company Artistic Director Israel Hicks, plays through Nov. 9 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. (323) 964-9768, www.ebonyrep.org.