The New York theatrical community bestowed one of its highest honors on Oct. 16, when the Virginia Theatre was renamed the August Wilson Theatre, after the esteemed playwright who succumbed to liver cancer on Oct. 2. This marks the first time a Broadway theater has been named for an African American.
Wilson enjoyed an unprecedented run of success over a career that spanned twenty years. Eight parts of his 10-play cycle about the African-American experience in the 20th century reached Broadway houses. All eight were nominated for the Best Play Tony Award, with 1987s Fences taking the prize.
Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns the August Wilson Theatre, has announced that it will bring Wilsons final play Radio Golf to Broadway next season.