The Century Cycle
The Century Cycle, also known as The Pittsburg Cycle, is a series of plays written by August Wilson before his death in 2005. The series includes work that represents 100 years of Black-American life and culture, one play for each decade. The plays that make up the Century Cycle (in order of decade) are: 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. The plays of the cycle were written out of order, Wilson started with the 70s, jumped back to the 20s, and then into the 50s. The cycle starts with the theme of freedom from slavery and hardship at the turn of the new century, ending with the 1990s issue of Black-American assimilation and alienation.
The cycle is primarily set in the Hill District of Pittsburg, PA where Wilson spent his childhood. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is the only Century Cycle play not set in Wilson's hometown, instead its set in Chicago. The cycle does not follow a single character or build off of a single story line; the cycle is about the history and culture of one neighborhood, the people within it, and how it changed over time. The cycle integrates social issues within the country like slavery, Jim Crow, The Great Migration and general racism experienced by the Black-American community. Unlike the other plays included in the Century Cycle, the characters in Two Trains Running are not connected in familial terms, instead they are mostly just acquaintances. One of the aspects that ties Two Trains Running to the rest of the Century Cycle is the mention of almost 300 years old Aunt Ester, who is a character in Gem of the Ocean. Its been suggested Aunt Ester is the physical embodiment of the journey from Africa to the present.