Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 1984

From the Broadway stage to the Pulitzer Prize, back to Broadway, and now as a film adaptation with four Oscar nominations, FENCES has riveted audiences for more than 30 years. The film, directed by and starring Denzel Washington, is nominated for Best Picture, with Washington and Viola Davis nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. The fourth nomination is for the drama's original playwright August Wilson for Best Adapted Screenplay. Wilson died in 2005. Wilson left behind an indelible legacy of dramatic work, having penned the ambitious American Century Cycle of ten plays focusing on the African-American experience in the 20th century.

A quick review of the 10 plays Denzel Washington will be producing for HBO.

American Stage Theatre Company recently announced that famous Hollywood actress and St. Petersburg native, Angela Bassett, has been named the theatre's honorary chair for their August Wilson Century Cycle Consortium.