Which August Wilson character should you play?

Black Mary, the protégée of Aunt Ester, is trying to learn the wisdom and ways of the old woman. While supervising Ester’s house, she serves her and washes her feet in a ritual reminiscent of the self-abasement of Mary, sister of Martha, at Bethany during the last days of Christ.

About Gem of the Ocean: Citizen Barlow arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Hill District in 1904 as part of the wave of freed slaves migrating from the South to the North following the Civil War. Barlow finds a haven—and eventually, redemption—at the home of 285-year-old Aunt Ester.

To find monologues for Black Mary and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Jeremy Furlow, a resident of the boardinghouse, is 25 years old. He represents a younger generation seeking to find its identity as the first liberated slaves. Jeremy's "blues playing" character is classified as a suave, artist young man looking to make a quick buck and travel the nation. He is constantly seeking the attention of the women in his vicinity and tries to find the perfect girl for himself.

About Joe Turner’s Come and Gone: In 1917, Herald Loomis returns to Pittsburgh in search of his wife—but haunted by the memory of bounty hunter Joe Turner, the man who had illegally enslaved him. “Conjure man” Bynum helps Loomis release himself from his past. 

To find monologues for Jeremy Furlow and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Cutler is a guitar and trombone player in Ma Rainey’s band, and the leader of all the other instrumentalists. A loner type in his mid-fifties, he plays his music without embellishment—the same can be said for how he feels about life: he believes in getting things done quickly.

About Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: The only play of The American Century Cycle not set in Pittsburgh takes place during a recording session at a white-owned Chicago studio with legendary blues singer Ma Rainey. Ma and her band deal with the pressures of a music business that abuses and victimizes its black artists while trying to find solace in the blues.

To find monologues for Cutler and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Wining Boy is Doaker’s wily, carefree brother who shows up in town and stays with the family whenever he is a bit down on his luck. He used to play the piano and made his livelihood making music, but quit that life when he decided he no longer wanted to be an entertainer. Despite this, he is protective of the piano.

About The Piano Lesson: In the throes of the Great Depression, Boy Willie and his sister Berniece battle over the possession of a piano covered in carvings that illustrate the history of the family and their ancestors. Boy Willie wants to use the money to buy land the family worked on as slaves; Berniece wants to keep the piano but has no intention of playing it.

To find monologues for Wining Boy and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Ruby is Louise’s niece who comes to Pittsburgh from Alabama. Two men in Alabama were ready to kill for her. She is a free spirit and is looking for a man to be the father of the child she is carrying.

About Seven Guitars: After 90 days in the county jail, Floyd Barton wants to jump-start both his temporarily abandoned recording career and his love affair with Vera. But in 1948 Pittsburgh, Floyd and his friends find that if you’re a black man—even if you were willing to die for your country in World War II—the deck is still stacked against you.

To find monologues for Ruby and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Bono served time in prison with Troy and the two became very close and remain best friends well out of their time spent in jail. Having seen Troy through thick and thin, Bono often serves as the voice of reason and perspective for Troy—especially when it comes to Rose. Despite having been friends with him for over thirty years, Bono’s concern for Troy’s marriage trumps his loyalty to the friendship. Bono himself is a devoted husband to his wife Lucille.

About Fences: Troy Maxson is a garbage collector and a former Negro league home run king who believes racism destroyed his shot at going pro. In 1957—10 years after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line—Troy and his son Cory clash over what Troy sees as Cory’s doomed pursuit of a college football scholarship.

To find monologues for Bono and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Wolf is a Numbers Runner—someone who carries the money and betting slips between the betting parlors and the headquarters or “Numbers Bank.” He enjoys the notoriety and popularity that comes with this work. While he manages to keep money in his pocket and a decent pair of shoes on his feet, his inability to find secure female companionship is the single failure that marks his life.

About Two Trains Running: Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated—the city of Pittsburgh plans to demolish Memphis Lee’s restaurant. Lee, his neighbors, and his patrons ponder whether their community and identity can survive urban renewal.

To find monologues for Wolf and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Rena is Youngblood’s girlfriend and mother of their young son. She is a strong and level-headed woman who recognizes the importance and responsibility of her new role as a mother and expects those around her to do the same.

About Jitney: In 1977, the gypsy cab, or jitney, station in the Hill District run by Becker is going to be demolished by the city to make room for new construction. Becker must decide whether to fight City Hall, look for a new place, or close up shop—at the same time as his son, Booster, is released from prison.

To find monologues for Rena and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

King Hedley II is the thirty-six years old spiritual son of King Hedley from Seven Guitars. He is engaged in life and death struggles with a scar to prove it. The slash down the left side of his face has left him with a glass eye. He looks like a bogeyman at the crossroads. He spent seven years in prison and strives to live by his own moral code.

About King Hedley II: In the backyard of a house in a Hill District blasted by decay and urban blight in 1985 Pittsburgh, King Hedley II, with a warrior spirit but no education or prospects, daydreams with his friend Mister about opening a Kung Fu video rental store using the money they make selling stolen refrigerators.

To find monologues for King Hedley II and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.

Mame Wilks is Harmond’s wife of more than twenty years and a professional public relations representative. She is focused on Harmond’s success, as well as her own, and confident that she has the proper plan to achieve both. Firm, independent and ambitious, her love of and belief in her husband are tested by his struggle to stay focused and on message.

About Radio Golf: Ivy League educated Harmond Wilks, who wants to become Pittsburgh’s first black mayor, plans to redevelop the Hill District and bring in Whole Foods and Starbucks. But when an owner of a house slated for demolition refuses to sell, Wilks finds his morals and ideals tested by those around him.

To find monologues for Mame Wilks and other August Wilson characters, go to the Approved Monologues on www.centertheatregroup.org/AugustWilson.