Clayton Pelham, Jr. and Thomascena Nelson Photo

From: Photo Flash: Blues Inspired MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM to Croon at 1st Stage

From the extraordinary mind of Pultizer, Tony, and Academy Award recognized playwright August Wilson comes one of America's most renowned stories of race and music. Inspired by the real life of legendary blues singer, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a powerful installment in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning Century Cycle- 10 illustrious plays that explore the African-American experience in each decade of the 20th century.