King Hedley II

play by Wilson

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July 16, 2026

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King Hedley II is a play by August Wilson, first produced in 1999. It is part of Wilson's acclaimed cycle of ten plays, each set in a different decade of the 20th century, chronicling the Black American experience. King Hedley II specifically focuses on the 1980s and tells the story of an ex-convict striving to rebuild his life. Wilson's work often explores themes of race, family, and the enduring spirit of African Americans, with music, particularly blues and jazz, frequently serving as a thematic element. His plays are celebrated for their lyrical dialogue and deep engagement with history and culture.12

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August Wilson
…plays in the series are King Hedley II, first produced in 1999, an account of an ex-con’s efforts to rebuild his life in the 1980s, and Gem of the Ocean, first produced in 2003, which takes place in 1904 and centres on Aunt Ester, a 287-year-old spiritual healer mentioned in…
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…plays in the series are King Hedley II, first produced in 1999, an account of an ex-con’s efforts to rebuild his life in the 1980s, and Gem of the Ocean, first produced in 2003, which takes place in 1904 and centres on Aunt Ester, a 287-year-old spiritual healer mentioned in…
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Viola Davis
Doubt and Fences
…Broadway in another Wilson play, King Hedley II. She won a Tony for her portrayal of a married woman arguing for her right to an abortion. She later played a maid who works for a well-intentioned but cloistered housewife played by Julianne Moore in the Todd Haynes film Far from…
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…Broadway in another Wilson play, King Hedley II. She won a Tony for her portrayal of a married woman arguing for her right to an abortion. She later played a maid who works for a well-intentioned but cloistered housewife played by Julianne Moore in the Todd Haynes film Far from…
Read More