August Wilson Society and NYU Tisch to Present August Wilson’s Ground 2026 at the African Grove Theater

June 22 event will mark the Broadway revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone with artists, scholars, students, and theatergoers in conversation about Wilson’s enduring legacy.

The August Wilson Society, in collaboration with NYU Tisch School of the Arts, will present August Wilson’s Ground 2026 on Monday, June 22, from 7:30–9:00 p.m. at the African Grove Theater at NYU’s Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. 

Taking place during the Broadway revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, this year’s gathering invites audiences to consider Wilson’s work not only as a landmark of American theater history, but as a living body of work still speaking powerfully to questions of memory, migration, identity, and spiritual restoration.

Moderated by Carl Cofield, the evening will feature a panel conversation with:
●    Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, Founder of the August Wilson Society and Professor Emerita at Howard University
●    Rosalyn Coleman, cast member of the Broadway revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

The program will conclude with an audience Q&A.

“The August Wilson Society exists to keep Wilson’s work in active conversation with the present. August Wilson’s Ground 2026 does exactly that — gathering artists, scholars, students, and theatergoers at NYU’s African Grove Theater during the Broadway revival of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone to reflect on why Wilson’s American Century Cycle remains one of the most vital bodies of dramatic literature in the world,” said Charles Nuckolls, August Wilson Society Board Member.

Since 2019, the August Wilson’s Ground series has served as a forum for interdisciplinary dialogue grounded in Wilson’s work and legacy, exploring themes including music, activism, religion, economics, African retentions, Black cultural memory, and gender dynamics.

The evening is designed as both a public conversation and a gathering place for artists, scholars, educators, students, and admirers committed to carrying Wilson’s legacy forward.

EVENT DETAILS
August Wilson’s Ground 2026
Monday, June 22, 2026
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
African Grove Theater at NYU’s Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts

The August Wilson Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 by Dr. Sandra G. Shannon at Howard University. The Society is dedicated to advancing the study, teaching, performance, research, and preservation of August Wilson’s life, work, and legacy through scholarship, education, and public engagement.

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