On March 6, 2025, students and faculty from the Department of African American Studies came together to attend a performance of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, a University Theater production directed by Baron Kelly. Sixty-eight students from the department were in attendance, many experiencing live theater for the first time. This event was made possible through the generosity of the department’s donors, whose contributions reflect a shared commitment to our mission and to strengthening resources that support our students and programs.
August Wilson (born Frederick August Kittel in 1945) was an American playwright from the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his series of ten plays, each set in a different decade of the 20th century, chronicling African American experiences. Wilson’s father, a German immigrant, abandoned the family during his youth, prompting him to adopt his mother’s last name at the age of 20. Wilson faced racial prejudice throughout his education, including a false accusation of plagiarism, which led him to transfer high schools three times before ultimately dropping out. He later enlisted in the army, pursued his education independently, worked a variety of odd jobs, and began his writing career as a poet. In 1968, he co-founded the Black Horizon Theater, a community-based theater company. Wilson received numerous accolades for his work, including Pulitzer Prizes for Fences and The Piano Lesson. Fences also earned a Tony Award and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play in 1987. He passed away from liver cancer in 2005.
Our students on stage
“I was asked to audition for Martha by Director Baron Kelly, due to a recommendation from my professor and assistant director Sandra Adell. After I got the part, I was directed into researching the Pentecostal faith, as well as what it meant to be a “sanctified” woman in the year 1911. Even though my family is from Jamaica, I still looked to my parents as a source of inspiration to ground myself when it comes to preaching, religious passions, and how to carry myself. As rehearsals progressed, Director Kelly gave me really good advice around “finding where Martha resides in my body” and to “tap into
those areas” when getting into character. This advice, along with the historical context and direction provided by various members of the team, empowered me to take on the role of Martha Pentecost.”
— Jnae Thompson (Class of 2024)
“When it comes to August Wilson, I learned that he’s extraordinary at taking a snapshot of the decades. Art is a way to show the experience of a time. Art can give hindsight. I hope folks who witness this play see that snapshot and appreciate Wilson’s delicate use of foiling, connections in water imagery, and racial symbolisms.”
— DeOnna Garrison (Class of 2025)
“As a literary scholar and theater historian, I have spent much of my thirty-five year career reading, writing, and teaching about theater history, performance and production, including theater design and directing,” Professor Sandra Adell shares. “Although I have acting experience, directing is new to me.” Adell directed her first play, Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress, in 2019. “When Professor Baron Kelly invited me to be his assistant director, I saw this as an opportunity to further develop my knowledge and understanding, not only of directing, but of theater as an art of collaboration. I am very proud to have been part of the team who helped bring Baron Kelly’s vision of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone to life onstage at the UW–Madison’s Mitchell Theater.” Professor Adell worked closely with the cast and understudies as the assistant director. The group rehearsed from January to February, with the show premiering February 27th and running until March 9th. She said,“Of all the plays in August Wilson’s ten play cycle, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone is my favorite.”
