Video/Photos: KING HEDLEY II At Arden Theatre

Philadelphia-based Arden Theatre Company's fourth production of its 2024/25 season with August Wilson's gripping drama, King Hedley II, which debuted February 27.  See video highlights and new photos from the show.

Directed by Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames, King Hedley II is the ninth play of award-winning playwright August Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle, set in the 1980s. The cycle chronicles the African American experience across different decades of the 20th century.

The production unfolds on the F. Otto Haas Stage, with performances now through March 30. The two-and-a-half-hour play features six of the region’s most talented actors, including Akeem Davis, Kimberly Fairbanks, Taysha Marie Canales, Monroe Barrick, Dax Richardson, and Kash Goins.

King Hedley II is set in 1985 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, a district that still exists today, which was deeply impacted by poverty and systemic racism. Audiences are introduced to King Hedley, an ex-con recently released from prison who is determined to rebuild his life despite the limited opportunities available to him. Desperate to provide a stable future for himself and his wife, Tonya, Hedley dreams of opening a video store. However, with few legitimate options to achieve his goal, he finds himself caught between pursuing his ambition the right way or turning to desperate measures to survive. 

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