March 18, 2024

August Wilson’s monumental Century Cycle is a collection of 10 dramas chronicling the black experience in America, one set during each decade of the 20th century. King Hedley II, number nine in the series, is a powerful, gritty and gripping play about an ex-convict trying to rebuild himself and his community all the while the ghosts of the past haunt him. Actor Naheem Garcia, stars in the play as Elmore. As he’ll explain, playing the role is unfinished business. We’ll talk to him about his enduring relationship to August Wilson’s work. From there, we’ll preview a free concert, where electronic music meets brutalist architecture. And then: Puccini plus popcorn?! How does the experience of watching live opera in the opera house compare to the movie house? With the Metropolitan opera simulcasting live productions in high definition video, we’ll get Grammy-winning dramatic Soprano Jane Eaglen’s take.