Augusta native and renowned actor Jerome Preston Bates will be directing and performing the second play in a series of theatrical readings of great works by iconic writer August Wilson.
“King Hedley II” will be presented at 3 p.m. Nov. 16 at the conference center of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, 1116 Phillips St.
Joining Bates who plays Elmore will be Russell Joel Brown as King, Sa Jules as Ruby, Tarika Holland as Tonya, the Rev. Chris Lowe as Stool Pigeon. Sean Moton will serve as stage manager, and Shantelle Wheeler will narrate, according to a news release.
Following the reading, there will be a Q&A with the cast from 5:30-6:30 p.m. entitled “The Legacy of August Wilson”.
Tickets are $50, and seating is limited. Go here for tickets.
August Wilson was a Pulitzer Prize winning American playwright who has been referred to as “theater’s poet of Black America.” Best known for his series of 10 plays that chronicled the experiences and heritage of the African-American community, he highlighted the joys and the struggles of Black Americans over the course of the 20th century.
Jerome Preston Bates is a graduate of Lucy Craft Laney High School and Knoxville College. His Broadway performances include “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller; “Seven Guitars” and “Jitney” by August Wilson; “American Son” by Christopher Demos-Brown, and “Stickfly” directed by Tony-nominated Kenny Leon.
He also performed off Broadway in “Seven Guitars” with Viola Davis and in “Loose Blossoms” with Chadwick Boseman; and “Macbeth” at the Old Globe Theatre. His television and film credits include include “Oz,” “Law and Order,” “Shaft,” “Peeples,” “Marvels” and “Something to Give.”
He directed ten August Wilson Plays in 2005 to 2008 at the Laney Museum to sellout crowds. Bates received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
Augusta Good News is an award-winning member of the Georgia Press Association. Sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
