Portland Stage Company Presents HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED By August Wilson

Portland Stage Company will present How I Learned What I Learned by August Wilson to Maine. Heralded as a tour de force, this one-man play tells the story of Wilson's journey from a young, struggling poet in the Hill District of Pittsburgh to becoming one of the most celebrated and respected playwrights of our time.

How I Learned What I Learned is a purposeful, poetic, and captivating retelling of August Wilson's life, and of the experiences and characters who helped shape him. Told with resplendence and deep, sometimes uncomfortable truth, this play is among the most treasured in American theater.

Director Jade King Carroll says, "I have a lifelong love affair with August Wilson's work... This play is relevant and important in 2023 in a way that it was in 2003 but unfortunately has become more important and more relevant as time marches on." Jade King Carroll has directed Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, The Skeleton Crew, Native Gardens, Perseverance, The Whipping Man, and Bad Dates at Portland Stage, and has directed productions throughout the country including Red Velvet at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Trouble In Mind at PlayMakers Repertory Company, and recently directed the series Marvel's Wastelanders: Doom. She is the recipient of the Drama Desk Award and the Paul Green Award from the August Wilson Estate. Ms. Carroll is also currently the Artistic Director at the Chautauqua Institution.

Originally this play was performed by August Wilson himself, and Lance E. Nichols steps into the role with grace. Known best for his television and film roles, Mr. Nichols brings his love of theater and tremendous talent to Portland Stage. He has acted in two of August Wilson's plays, King Hedley II and The Piano Lesson, and says of How I Learned What I Learned, "to be able to tell this man's story, his words, is just an honor, and to work with a director like Jade is such a collaborative art form... What we're doing is creating magic." This veteran actor character actor is best remembered as dentist Larry Williams on the critically acclaimed HBO series Treme. His memorable performance as the "faith healing" preacher preacher in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button garnered praise from critics and the general public. He recurs as The River King in the AMC television series Into The Badlands and recently started production on the new SyFy/USA series The Purge. Mr. Nichols is the recipient of the Drama-Logue Award and the NAACP Theatre Award.

The set is a work of art unto itself. Anita Stewart, Scenic Designer, Portland Stage Artistic Manager and friend of August Wilson says, "The play begins with a description of the setting as 'the crucible in which many a work of art has been fired,' and this is the best description. It's all of the stuff that created the man." She goes on, "August was about legacy. He's writing a legacy of the African American experience through the Century Cycle. He frames out that lived Black experience over time in a way we've never seen. In this play, this man who didn't graduate from high school, who is one of the most brilliant men I know, he is always digging deeper. August loved watching boxing matches and that idea of punching through something. This play is like that. It's insight into how he wrote the way he wrote and what made him give up his name and become August Wilson."

Portland Stage offers Mainstage performances, New Works, and Education programs. The 2022-23 Mainstage season includes seven Mainstage productions, staged readings of its commissions, and Studio Series productions. PS promotes and celebrates the creation of new plays with an environment that supports the region's playwrights, builds bridges between its theater and national writers, and develops awareness of theater with three exciting initiatives: the Clauder Competition, the Little Festival of the Unexpected, and From Away, a festival in collaboration with the International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa. This year, Portland Stage also celebrates its 13th season of the Susie Konkel Theater for Kids and the 100,000 student experiences it has provided in the last decade through its education programs. Subscriptions to Portland Stage are available, and subscribers gain insider access, significant savings, and flexibility. PS is committed to accessibility and is currently planning a renovation to meet this commitment as well as offering ticketing options and expanded community engagement. Visit portlandstage.org to learn more.

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