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The story of an ex-con in post-Reagan Pittsburgh, 1985, trying to rebuild his life.
The play is part of August Wilson's Century Cycle, his epic dramatization of the African American experience in the twentieth century.
This edition includes a foreword by Marion McClinton.
By focusing on the eternal journey of the misplaced African, whose story was the truest account of the American struggle toward freedom and independence, he opened up not only what American theater could be about, but also who could do the telling.
—Marion McClinton, from the foreword
Wilson's melody here is the mournful sound of what might have been, a blues-tinged tale about a driven, almost demonic man. He's a petty thief named King who will stop at nothing for a better life…King Hedley is a big play, filled with big emotions and big speeches. These aria-like monologues are rich in humor, heartbreak and the astonishing details that go into creating real people. With his latest arrival on Broadway, Wilson only has the first and last decades of the twentieth century to chronicle—it's been quite a journey. King Hedley will only add to that towering achievement.
—Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
What makes Wilson America's greatest living playwright—aside from his gift for dialogue, which blends searing poetry with uncompromising realism—is the bracing humanism with which he provides insight into the struggles and aspirations of all individuals.
—Elysa Gardner, USA Today