Denzel Washington is putting on his producer hat and has inked a deal with HBO to bring a set of 10 plays by playwright August Wilson—collectively known as the Pittsburgh Cycle or Century Cycle—to television. Washington said so during a live stream with Todd Boyd from the University of Southern California Thursday night, Shadow and Act reports.
The 10 plays are about African-American life in the 20th century, with each play focusing on one decade, beginning in the 1900s, all the way up through the 1990s.
Remember: Washington acted in Fences on Broadway alongside Viola Davis, and Fences is one of the 10 plays in that bundle. It will also be the first play up to bat. Washington said he’ll actually be directing the production next spring, and will also star in it, alongside Davis, once again.
Washington said that he’s collaborating with Wilson’s estate on this effort. Kudos to Washington and HBO for bringing Wilson’s work to a wider audience. And with Washington at the helm, we’re sure they’re all going to be quality productions.
Diana Ozemebhoya Eromosele is a staff writer at The Root and the founder and executive producer of Lectures to Beats, a Web series that features video interviews with scarily insightful people. Follow Lectures to Beats on Facebook and Twitter.
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