How I Learned What I Learned;
An Evening With August Wilson.
By Megan Grabowski
The
Pittsburgh premiere of How I Learned What I Learned introduces today’s
generation of theatergoers to 1960’s Black America and pointedly offers
Pittsburgher’s an intimate moment with Wilson, listening to him tell the tales
of growing up poor in an urban ghetto.
Yes, I claim to heave heard Wilson himself speak- his mannerisms;
linguistic style and body language
channeled on stage through a great medium, actor Eugene Lee.
A
satisfying continuation of the commemorative 40th season, Pittsburgh
Public Theater (PPT) has once again stroked the spirt of Pittsburghers. How I learned What I Learned, August Wilson’s
final drama is running for a full month of performances.
The
one-man show is an enhancement of Wilson’s stories about growing up and coming
of age in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood. The stories are reminiscent of the types of
stories you hear in the corner bar or at parties and I imagine many anecdotes were
often shared with his family and friends - but these biographical accounts were
not fully conceived in dramatic form until Wilson requested the assistance of Todd
Kreidler. Collaborating with Kreidler, Wilson created a
collection of stories for the stage, which mimic many themes commonly threaded
throughout his other works. He addresses
social, economic, racial and familial subjects while simultaneously encompassing
an audience with the art of storytelling.
How I Learned What I Learned was intended to be performed by Wilson
himself. After the shows initial run in
Seattle, Wilson became ill and passed away before having a chance to tour the
country as actor. PPT’s performance of
How I Learned What I Learned is directed by Todd Kreidler, bringing an
emotional depth to the stage that carries on a legacy which will move the
audiences at their core.
It
appears to me, native Pittsburghers typically maintain a unified essence of
their city, claiming ownership to all things Pittsburgh: Andy Warhol, Fred
Rogers, Heinz Ketchup. Wilson too fits
in this list of notables, yet his characters and stories are indicative of you
and me; the average guy, living day to day, striving to survive.
The
great prodigious energy of August Wilson, pours from the lips of actor Eugene
Lee, on stage at the O’Reilly Theater behind a backdrop of 8.5x11 sheets of
paper. He sits on a platform, covered in
detritus and litter, perhaps a simulation of the stoop outside Wilson’s basement
apartment in the mid-1960’s. As Lee
enters, the sounds of a typewriter, tap, tap, tapping, spell out the first
chapter of the show, ‘My Ancestors’. For
more than 90 minutes Lee stands sits, paces and dances to the tales of Wilson’s
life, his only props being the stoop, a stool, a desk and a glass of water. The set is simple yet significant; each story
is introduced on the sheets of paper and the ambiance enhanced by lighting
changes. Sometimes music is added to
complement a particular subject. Lee speaks
Wilson’s stories- his experience with autodidacticism by way of the Carnegie
Library, memories of his mentors, recollection of members of the Hill Art
Society and frequently his drive to stand toe-to-toe with racism whenever and
wherever he is confronted by it.
The
show is racially charged and should it be.
Wilson’s account reflects upon a time in America when blacks were struggling
to move past our nation’s verbal and physical brutality against their race. Wilson, intellectually understood humanity
despite all of the injustices and insults, and does not cast blame. The message
Wilson conveys to his audience is matter of fact. These are stories about growing up black in
America in the 1960’s. The way Wilson
tells it; that’s just how it was. How
did he cope? How did his friends survive? How did they overcome? How did some, inevitably succumb? We hear about his first few jobs, his time in
jail, his friends, the women he loved the music that healed and moved him and
the community where he lived. It is the
culmination of these experiences that shaped his art. Each chapter title is typed letter by letter
onto the sheets of paper hanging above the stage, ‘Jail’, ‘Coltrane’, ‘Hill
District 1965’, and in conclusion, ‘How Do You Know What You Know’.
How
I Learned What I Learned completes what is commonly referred to as “The Century
Cycle”. Wilson penned one play for each decade
of the 20th century, 9 of them set here in Pittsburgh. As a play, How I Learned What I Learned is
different. Lee, incredible in his
interpretation of Wilson, never struggles with a lack of energy, despite his
1.5 hour monologue, nor is there dearth in representation of character. He appears to have resurrected the
playwright, granting Pittsburgh a moment in time with August Wilson.
How I Learned What I Learned runs through April 5, 2015. Ticket information is available HERE
Reviewed by Megan Grabowski
Income Maintance Caseworker at State of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Positively Pittsburgh Good News Reviewer, Professional writer, Social-Media Junkie, Community Fundraiser and Pittsburgh Enthusiast. 