Charles S. Dutton's August Wilson Tribute is Delayed

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Wednesday, January 11, 2006; 11:01 AM - by BWW News Desk

Charles S. Dutton's upcoming tribute to late great playwright August Wilson has been delayed.

New performance dates for the show are unannounced; it was to have run from January 18th through 21st at the El Portal Mainstage in Los Angeles, California.

"Due to conflicting schedules with other projects and an independent film, actor/writer Charles Dutton and producer Bonita Brisker have chosen to delay their production of Goodnight Mr. Wilson . . . Mr. Dutton attributes the postponement to a joint decision between himself and Constanza Romero (August Wilson's widow) to wait until the script, a tribute to Mr. Wilson, is further developed," according to a press statement.

The tribute was to have featured Dutton, who starred in the original and revival productions of Wilson's '20s-set play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, performing scenes from that show, The Piano Lesson and others; he was to have been joined by Brisker in the scenes.

Wilson lost his battle with liver cancer on Sunday, October 2nd; he was 60 years old. The playwright, who won Pulitzer Prizes for The Piano Lesson and Fences, won acclaim for chronicling the African-American experience in a cycle of ten plays that spanned the 20th century. The cycle also included Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars, Jitney and King Hedley II. Gem of the Ocean was the last Wilson play to be presented on Broadway prior to the playwright's death, but Radio Golf (with which Wilson completed the cycle) recently played the Mark Taper Forum in L.A. The formerly-named Virginia Theatre was renamed in his honor in October.

Dutton received Tony Award nominations for his work in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and in The Piano Lesson. The actor was seen on the TV series "Roc" and "Equal Justice," and his many film credits include Secret Window, Against the Ropes, Gothika, Cookie's Fortune, A Time to Kill, Alien 3 and No Mercy. He also had a recurring role on Showtime's "The L Word" last season.

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