20th annual Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration to host tribute to August Wilson

The late Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson will be the subject of a career tribute during the 20th annual Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration (BLPC) Aug. 29-Sept. 4 at Texas State University.

The BLPC is hosted by Texas State’s Department of Theatre and Dance, in collaboration with Humanities Texas. Wilson will be honored as the 2022 Distinguished Achievement honoree during the event, with special guest Todd Kreidler, writer, director and co-founder of the August Wilson Monologue Competition. Additionally, BLPC will host a playwriting workshop, and two staged readings of new works.

Wilson was an esteemed playwright known for a series of 10 plays called “The Pittsburgh Cycle.” Wilson was affectionally known as the theatre’s poet of Black America was posthumously inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2006. The tribute to Wilson will take place on Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre. The event is open to the public with free admission.

In conjunction with BLPC, Texas state will present August Wilson’s “How I Learned What I Learned,” starring Texas State alumnus and Artist in Residence Eugene Lee. The show will run Sept. 8-23 in Evans Auditorium and tickets are available via txstatepresents.com. All revenue will go towards supporting the future of BLPC.

BLPC will host a playwriting workshop with Judy Tate on Sept. 3 at noon. This workshop is open to all writers of any level, but limited spots are available. The event is $20 for the public and $10 for students. All prospective attendees can register by visiting txstatepresents.com.

The new play development reading presentation of “A Cup of Life” by Kwik Jones will take place on Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, followed by a talkback. Tickets are $10 for the public and $7 for students.

The new play development reading presentation of “Cebollas” by Leonard Madrid will take place on Sept. 4 at noon in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, followed by a talkback. Tickets are $10 for the public and $7 for Texas State students.

The BLPC celebrates the voices of Black and Latino playwrights by work-shopping new plays in collaboration with professional directors, actors and university students. For more information, visit https://blpc.finearts.txst.edu/.