In episode 78, The Boston Sisters discuss the film adaptations of plays by award-winning playwright August Wilson (1945 - 2005) and their significance in understanding American history with Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, a leading authority on Wilson's work, as well as founder and President Emerita of the August Wilson Society. Three of Wilson plays were adapted into feature films: FENCES, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, andTHE PIANO LESSON. JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE is currently in development. Dr. Shannon highlights Wilson's mission to give voice to the African American experience and the importance of historical context in teaching his plays. The conversation also explores metaphysical elements in Wilson's works compared to the popular 2025 Ryan Coogler film SINNERS, and the impact of Wilson's plays on contemporary culture.
TIMESTAMPS
0:02 - Intro to Podcast and Dr. Sandra D. Shannon
1:00 - Overview of August Wilson's Plays
2:31 - Film Adaptations: MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, THE PIANO LESSON, FENCES
4:18 - Dr. Sandra D. Shannon's first impressions of August Wilson
8:06 - August Wilson Society mission and legacy
25:10 - Baltimore's August Wilson Project
26:05 - Teaching August Wilson to a tech/media savvy student
30:06 - MA RAINEY's BLACK BOTTOM blues history
34:39 - THE PIANO LESSON and the value of owning land
44:41 - Pittsburgh as "ground" and microcosm
56:35 - Teaching history through August Wilson plays
59:20 - JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE and Great Migration
1:01:30 - August Wilson, SINNERS, and the supernatural
1:11:58 - Upcoming film adaptation
1:17:09 - African belief systems in August Wilson
1:20:54 - Where to watch FENCES, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, and THE PIANON LESSON
1:21:14 - Books by Dr. Sandra Shannon
1:22:09 - Disclaimer
-----
SUBSCRIBE to HISTORICAL DRAMA WITH THE BOSTON SISTERS® on your favorite podcast platform
ENJOY past podcasts and bonus episodes
SIGN UP for our mailing list
SUPPORT this podcast SHOP THE PODCAST on our affiliate bookstore
Buy us a Coffee! You can support by buying a coffee ☕ here — buymeacoffee.com/historicaldramasisters
Thank you for listening!
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.