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                  Who's In The Cast

Festival for his performance in MacArthur Park. Television featured roles include "Living Single," "Mama Flora's Family," "Passing Glory" and "Boycott." Mr. Byrd dedicates his performance to Iris Passmore Byrd and Mary Emma Jinks.


TONY CUCCI(Policeman) is making his Broadway debut and would like to express his gratitude to August Wilson and Marion McClinton for this opportunity. Off-Broadway credits include Tommy Stones in David Rabe's The Dog Problem, Eddie Contarino in Bryan Goluboff's In Betweens, Lt. Col. Nathan Jessup in a Few Good Men and Big Mac in On the Waterfront. Film and television credits include the soon-to-be-released How 2 Lose a Guy in 10 Days, appearances in Dick Wolf's "Law & Order," "Deadline," :Law & Order: SVU." Tony would like to thank his family and especially his wife and daughter for their support and inspiration.


JACK DAVIDSON (Irvin) most recently appeared on Broadway in the Lincoln Center Theater production of Morning's at Seven. Other Broadway: A Moon for the Misbegotten; Ah, Wilderness!; and The Little Foxes. Off-Broadway: The Unexpected Man, Passion Play and A Fair Country. Regionally: The Learned Ladies, Anthony & Cleopatra. Film/TV includes "Ed," "Law 7 Order," The Autumn Heart and Shaft.


CARL GORDON (Cutler) gained national prominence as Andrew Emerson on the Fox sitcom "Roc." Gordon has appeared in more than 50 productions of the Negro Ensemble Company. B'way: Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, The Great White Hope, Do Lord Remember Me, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (understudy) and The Piano Lesson. His feature film credits include Ossie Davis' Gordon's War, John Badham's The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings and John Sayle's The Brother From Another Planet. Numerous TV appearances include "ER," "Nash Bridges," "Love Song," "The Practice," "Malcolm & Eddie," "The Wedding," "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper," "Man in the Middle," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Love Is a Splendored Thing" and "JAG."


STEPHEN McKinley HENDERSON (Slow Drag) made his first Broadway appearance and second Kennedy Center appearance as Stool Pigeon in King Hedley II during the 2001 season. Off-Broadway, he created the role of Turnbo in Jitney, which he also performed at LORT theatres across the country as well as at London's National Theatre. Other Off-Broadway credits include Emmett in the revival as Zooman and the Sign at Second Stage and Bobo in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun at the Roundabout and Kennedy Center. Regionally, Mr. Henderson has played Azdak in Caucasian Chalk Circle, Bynum in Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Creon in Antigone, Bono in Fences, Falstaff in Merry Wives, Sizwe in Sizwe Banzi is Dead, Sitting Bull in Indians and Solyony in Three Sisters. Television credits include "Law & Order," "Third Watch," and "Criminal Intent."


ANTHONY MACKIE (Sylvester) is thrilled to be going from his screen debut opposite Eminem in 8 Mile to making his Broadway debut in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Roles include: Public Theatre: The Moderator in Talk (dir. 
Marion McClinton, 2002 Obie Award), Booth in the Topdog/Underdog (understudy for Don Cheadle). NYTW: Tupac in Up Against the Wind. Julliard: Blues for Mister Charlie, The Mahabharata and Someone Who'll Watch Over Me. Film: Brother to Brother (independent), 8 Mile (Universal) directed by Curtis Hanson, and Hollywood Homicide ( Sony, summer '03) starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett and directed by Ron Shelton. Chris, Robin and Marcus--this is for you.


HEATHER ALICIA SIMMS (Dussie Mae) is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut with this wonderful company. Miss Simms' credits include Breath, Boom (Playwrights Horizons/Yale Rep), Insurrection (The Public Theatre), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Missouri Repertory Theatre), Spunk (Cincinnati Playhouse) Splash Hatch

              Who's Who In The Cast
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on the E Going Down (New York Stage and Film), Flyin' West (Stamford Theatre Works), among others. Television: "Third Watch," "Homicide," "Law & Order" and "As the World Turns." Film credits include "Stompin' Down at Sugar Love's, Kings County and the upcoming Dreamworks film Head of State. MFA: Columbia University Drama School. For my family.

AUGUST WILSON (Playwright) is the author of Jitney, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, Seven Guitars and King Hedley II. These works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade-by-decade, over the course of the twentieth century. Mr. Wilson's work has 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. Additionally, the cast recording of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom received a 1985 Grammy Award. Mr. Wilson has received many fellowships and awards, including Rockefeller and Guggenheim Fellowships and the Whiting Writers' Award. He was awarded a National Humanities Medal by the President of the United States and has received numerous honorary degrees, including the only high school diploma ever issued by Pittsburgh's Carnegie Library. He is an alumnus of New Dramatists and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Wilson was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District and currently makes his home in Seattle. He is the father of two daughters, Sakina Ansari and Azula Carmen Wilson, and is married to costume designer Constanza Romero. 

MARION McCLINTON (Director) has been involved with August Wilson's work for many yeares, having directed King Hedley II (Broadway, Tony nomination), Two Trains Running (Center Stage), Fences (Indiana Rep, Pittsburg Public), The Piano Lesson (Penumbra Theatre), Seven Guitars (Pittsburgh Public, Center Stage), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Missouri Rep) and Jitney (Pittsburgh Public, Center Stage, Studio Arena, Geva, Goodman Theatre, Mark Taper, Second Stage and The Royal National in London). Recent Center Stage: Les Blancs and Splash Hatch on the E Going Down. Other directing: Thunder Knocking on the Door (Guthrie, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Center Stage, Dallas Theater Center); The Coming of the Hurricane (Arena Stage); A Midsummer Night's Dream (La Jolla); Death and the King's Horseman (Syracuse Stage); East Texas Hot Links (Public Theater); TALK (Foundry Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun (Center Stage); Breath, Boom! (Playwrights Horizons); Carson McCullers (Historically Inaccurate) (Playwrights Horizons/Women's Project). Playwrighting: Police Boys (Center Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Pittsburgh Public), Walkers (Off-Broadway), Stones and Bones (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Who Causes the Darkness? (Penumbra). Awards: two Audelcos, Obie, Ira Aldredge, Joseph Calloway, Kesselring Prize, NEW/TCG Pew Charitable Trust Grant; Drama Desk and Evening Standard nominations. Alumnus, New Dramatists; company member, Penumbra Theatre; associate artist, Center Stage.

DWIGHT ANDREWS (Musical Director). Broadway: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson and Seven Guitars. Off-Broadway: Everybody's Ruby and Resurrection of Lady Lester. Regional theatre work includes Miss Evers' Boys, Colored Museum, Heliotrope Bouquet, Flyin' West, Blues for an Alabama Sky. Film credits include Piano Lesson, Old Settler, Miss Evers' Boys, W.E.B. DuBois: A Biography in Four Voices and Homecoming. Ph.D., Yale University.

DAVID GALLO (Scenic Designer). Broadway: Dance of the Vampires, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Epic Proportions, Voices in the Dark, Charlie Brown, Little Me, The Lion in Winter, A View From the Bridge, More to Love, Jackie (London also), Hughie, national tour of Angels in America. Off-Broadway: The Wild Party, Jitney (London also), Jar the Floor, Bubbly Black Girl..., Bunny Bunny, Wonder of the World, Blue Man Group (NY,