FIND YOUR SEAT FOR THE CHICAGO PREMIERE
OF HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED
Our 25th Anniversary celebration continues! Join Congo Square with Broadway In Chicago for the Chicago premiere of August Wilson’s autobiographical show, HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED. Directed by Ken-Matt Martin and featuring Chicago’s own Harry Lennix, this limited engagement will run from April 20 – May 5, 2024 at Broadway In Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut St).
HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED follows Wilson’s journey as a young Black writer from Pittsburgh to one of the most celebrated American playwrights of the 20th century. Written three years before his death, the one-man show recounts numerous stories from the author’s long career and the lessons they taught about what it means to be a Black artist in America.
Congo Square Board Member, and star of stage and screen, Harry Lennix will perform the play. Most recently, Lennix has been seen as Harold Cooper on NBC’s acclaimed series Blacklist, and as General Swanwick/Martian Manhunter in numerous films and TV shows in the DC Extended Universe.
April 20 – May 5, 2024
Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place
175 E. Chestnut St., Chicago
HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED is produced in association with the Goodman Theatre and runs concurrently with Goodman’s production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.
Group tickets
Groups of 10 or more may book now by calling (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. Broadway In Chicago subscribers may add the show by logging onto their season ticket account.
DIGITAL PLAYBILL
DIRECTED BY ken-matt martin
Ken-Matt Martin is a producer and director that has worked at many theaters across the country. Martin is a co-founder of Pyramid Theatre Company in Des Moines, IA where he served as Executive Director until 2018. Pyramid is the first and only theatre in the state of Iowa to produce plays by August Wilson including Martin’s productions of Fences and The Piano Lesson. Martin’s producing and directing credits in Des Moines have received numerous Cloris Leachman Excellence in Theatre Award nominations, including two awards for Best Play and a Special Honor for Martin in 2016. Read More >>
PERFORMED BY HARRY LENNIX^ (AUGUST WILSON)
Harry Lennix is a distinguished film, television stage actor and producer. For the past 9 seasons, he has starred as Harold Cooper, on NBC’s THE BLACKLIST. Moviegoers know Lennix as General Calvin Swanwick (a.ka. Martian Manhunter) from THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, Commander Lock in THE MATRIX: RELOADED and THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS, and Joe Adams in the Oscar® winning RAY. He made his screen debut as Dresser in the fan favorite movie: THE FIVE HEARTBEATS. Lennix also recurs on the Showtime series BILLIONS. Read More >>
WRITTEN BY August Wilson
Born and raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August Wilson (1945-2005) authored the American Century Cycle of 10 plays, including GEM OF THE OCEAN, JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, THE PIANO LESSON, SEVEN GUITARS, FENCES, TWO TRAINS RUNNING, JITNEY, KING HEDLEY II, and RADIO GOLF. These works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade by decade, over the course of the 20th century. Goodman Theatre was the first in the country to have produced every play in Wilson’s cycle. In 2003, Wilson made his professional stage debut in his one-man show HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED. Wilson’s work garnered many awards, including Pulitzer Prizes for FENCES (1987) and THE PIANO LESSON (1990); a Tony Award for FENCES; Great Britain’s Olivier Award for JITNEY; as well as seven New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM, FENCES, JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE, THE PIANO LESSON, TWO TRAINS RUNNING, SEVEN GUITARS, and JITNEY. Additionally, the cast recording of MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM received a 1985 Grammy Award and Wilson received a 1995 Emmy Award nomination for his screenplay adaptation of THE PIANO LESSON. On October 16, 2005, Broadway renamed the theater located at 245 West 52nd Street the August Wilson Theatre.
Ericka Ratcliff*, Artistic Director
Allen GilmorE^*, Understudy
PRODUCTION TEAM
Sydney Lynne Thomas (Scenic Designer)
Andres Fiz (Associate Projections Designer)
Roxanna Conner (Assistant Director/Dramaturg)
Kieran O’Conner (Lead Electrician)
Willow James (Sound Designer)
Reuben Echoles (Costume Designer)
Ariel Beller (Production Manager)
Jason Lynch (Lighting Designer)
Lonnae (Luh - Nae) Hickman (Props Designer)
Julie Jachym^ (Production Stage Manager)
Rasean Davonté Johnson (Projections Designer)
Nygel D. Robinson (Music Consultant)
Andy Cahoon (Technical Director)
^ Member of Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), the union of professional actors and stage managers
* Member of the Congo Square Theatre Ensemble
CELEBRATION OF HEALING
As an extension of HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, we invite you to join our Celebration of Healing!
Our Celebration of Healing initiative collaborates with our annual productions to provide audiences with a curated space geared toward individual and community healing.
SUPPORT FEATURED LOCAL ARTISTS!
This year, our Celebration of Healing will uplift Black Chicago artists. For our limited run of HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED, we are partnering with Chicago artists to uplift the life and legacy of August Wilson. Throughout the duration of the production run, you will have the opportunity to view and purchase pieces from our virtual artist gallery curated in the spirit of Black excellence, Black joy, and Black artistry.
We are proud to feature work from:
Plus, experience excerpts of AUGUST WILSON: THE GROUND ON WHICH I STAND throughout the production of HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED at Broadway Playhouse. Made possible in partnership with WTTW.
This curation is made in partnership with our Celebration of Healing Initiative which collaborates with our productions to provide audiences with a space geared toward individual and community healing.