Radio Golf

Radio Golf is the centerpiece of Goodman Theatre’s August Wilson Celebration, a tribute to the late Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning American playwright.  Completed only months before his untimely death in 2005, Radio Golf is the final play in Wilson’s powerful decade-by-decade exploration of the 20th Century African American experience—and the only play within the cycle about the African American middle class.  This production marks a 20-year relationship between Wilson and the Goodman and makes the Goodman the only theater in the country to have produced all 10 plays in the cycle.  Director Kenny Leon returns to the Goodman after most recently appearing in the 2003 world premiere production of Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean.  Radio Golf runs January 13 – February 18, 2007, in the Albert  Theatre

“More than any other writer of his generation, August Wilson transformed contemporary theater with a unique blend of poetry, music, storytelling and mysticism,” said Artistic Director Robert Falls.  “His death robbed the American theater of a truly monumental artist, and the Goodman of a longtime friend and collaborator.  I am very proud of the close ties August had with the Goodman, ties that will be explored in our August Wilson Celebration in January and February.  His legacy will continue to spark dialogue for generations to come.” 

At the center of Radio Golf is the ambitious Harmond Wilks, a man with big plans.  He is about to break ground on Bedford Hills, a slick new real estate venture designed to revive Pittsburgh’s depressed Hill District—and propel him to becoming the city’s first black mayor.  But first, the government must declare the historic neighborhood blighted, unleashing federal money for the development.  All goes according to plan until a mysterious stranger, claiming ownership of Aunt Ester’s house at 1839 Wylie Avenue, forces Wilks to reconsider his path to success.  Radio Golf completes the playwright’s argument that richness of a shared past must not be lost amid the temptations of a glittery present.

The Goodman’s relationship with Wilson began in 1986 with its production of Fences, starring James Earl Jones.  Over the past 20 years, the Goodman has served as part of the consortium of theaters that helped develop the plays before the Broadway productions, twice hosting world premieres.  Resident Director Chuck Smith worked with Wilson as director of 1997’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and as dramaturg for Gem of the Ocean in 2003. Said Smith, “August Wilson passed over a year ago, yet he is still here with us, whispering in our ear and helping us navigate the wants and needs of his complex characters.  I, for one, welcome the company.”

Goodman Theatre’s August Wilson Celebration, January 13 – February 19, 2007 includes Congo Square Theatre Company’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone in the Owen Theatre. Augmenting the Celebration is a series of one-night-only programs which features the art and artists who helped make this playwright one of America’s greatest writers.

Tickets to Radio Golf are $20 to $68 and may be purchased online at GoodmanTheatre.org, at the Goodman Theatre Box Office, 170 North Dearborn Street, or charged by phoning 312-443-3800.