Page 16
Minority & Small Business Week
Mississippi
Alberta
North Portland
September 28, 2016
Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
photo by o Wen W alz
Victor Mack is the playwright and poet August Wilson in the Portland Playhouse production of ‘How I Learned What I Learned,’ Wilson’s provocative autobiographical
solo show about race, culture, oppression, hierarchy and power.
‘How I Learned What I Learned’
August Wilson’s solo show on race, power and more
August Wilson is a national
treasure. The Pulitzer Prize-win-
ning playwright produced a series
of 10 plays that serve as defining
snapshots of African-American
life during the 20th century.
Before that, though, Wilson
identified as a poet. How he
viewed the world and vice versa,
was explored through his “How
I Learned What I Learned,” an
autobiographical one-man show
that is essentially a memoir.
In this format, Wilson is talking
directly to the audience about crit-
ical issues of race and culture that
remain relevant today.
Portland Playhouse, the di-
verse theater group which turned
an old church at 602 N.E. Prescott
St. into a theater venue, has pro-
duced the show for a production
that opened last week and contin-
ues through Oct. 23.
Co-conceived
by
Todd
Kreidler and unveiled on the
East Coast, this is the first perfor-
mance of ‘How I Learned What I
Learned’ with an African-Ameri-
can director, Kevin Jones of Port-
land, and star, Victor Mack, also
of Portland.
“It’s a must-see for anyone
who’s a fan of August Wilson,”
Portland Playhouse artistic direc-
tor
Brian Weaver says. “He draws
us in with humor and lyrical sto-
rytelling, and then calls us to ac-
tion to make a more just world
and be a better version of our-
selves.”
Performance
times
are
Wednesday through Friday at
7:30 p.m.; and Sundays at 2 p.m.
For tickets and more information,
call the box office at 503-488-
5822 or visit portlandplayhouse.
org.