The Ground on Which I Stand
African American theatre is distinct, distinguished, and fully deserving of the kind of funding and respect too often reserved for white culture and institutions.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the historic speech playwright August Wilson delivered at the Theatre Communications Group conference in June 1996, we’re republishing the speech in its entirety in this issue, along with a wide range of reports, reflections, and responses from folks across the country on the impact, arguments, and legacy of the speech, and how it fits into Wilson’s body of work as an American artist and public intellectual.
African American theatre is distinct, distinguished, and fully deserving of the kind of funding and respect too often reserved for white culture and institutions.
In igniting fierce debates about casting, funding, and racial equity, August Wilson’s 1996 keynote anticipated many of the arguments we’re still having.
Why reprint a 20-year-old speech? Less to show how far we’ve come (or not) than to marvel at what a great artist still has to say to us now.
In this special edition of Offscript, we have a 10-minute audio recording of August Wilson delivering his seminal speech, ‘The Ground on Which I Stand,’ followed by a discussion among leaders of two black theatres, Penumbra’s Lou Bellamy and National Black Theatre’s Jonathan McCrory.
August Wilson’s widow is poised for new generations to reimagine the American Century Cycle.
A range of voices considers the impact and the lasting legacy—and a few lacunae—of August Wilson’s seminal speech.
August Wilson’s historic call to arms resonates with today’s social justice activism. But has it taken root on our stages?
The actor, who received a copy of the playwright’s famous speech in the mail, remembers it chiefly as an act of self-definition.
In 15 years of conversation, the acclaimed author formed a long, deep bond with August Wilson over shared experiences and diverging perspectives.
Artists and scholars gathered this week to hear and reconsider August Wilson’s famous TCG speech about race and theatre.