"You Get History" - August Wilson's American Century Cycle (Ep. 78)

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts116/v4/a1/6e/78/a16e7863-691b-ce8b-1f6a-e3dce5f04742/mza_14785181664272070292.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

Michon & Taquiena Boston

109 episodes

3 days ago

“Historical Drama with the Boston Sisters” a podcast where we talk about historical drama series, biopics, and films -— stories that give us a window to the past, and a mirror of the present. Co-hosted by Michon Boston and Taquiena Boston, real-life sisters who binge on historical drama.

TV & Film

RSS

All content for Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters is the property of Michon & Taquiena Boston and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

TV & Film

https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/17551416/17551416-1761601090474-6abe0434d51a9.jpg

"You Get History" - August Wilson's American Century Cycle (Ep. 78)

Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters

1 hour 22 minutes 30 seconds

2 weeks ago

"You Get History" - August Wilson's American Century Cycle (Ep. 78)

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

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!