What are the people, places and experiences that shape who we become?  For August Wilson, they were the streets of Pittsburgh’s Hill District, the people he encountered along the way, and the stories he discovered in the everyday lives of his community.  Those experiences would ultimately inspire one of America’s most influential playwrights and transform the landscape of American theatre.

The Resident Ensemble Players (REP), the professional theatre company in residence at the University of Delaware, opens its 19th season with Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned, running Sept. 4-20 in the Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts.  Co-conceived by Todd Kreidler and directed by Interim Artistic Director Michael Gotch, the deeply personal play offers audiences a glimpse into the man behind celebrated works including Fences, The Piano Lesson and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, as well as the other plays of Wilson’s American Century Cycle.

Rather than presenting Wilson simply as a celebrated playwright, How I Learned What I Learned explores the experiences that made him one. Through vivid storytelling, Wilson reflects on his childhood, his community, his struggles as a young artist, the people who influenced him and the moments that taught him to find his own voice.  The result is an intimate portrait of an artist discovering that the stories closest to home can hold meaning far beyond a single neighborhood or community.  It is also a story that invites audiences to consider their own lives: the people who have influenced them, the places that have shaped them and the experiences that have changed the way they see the world.

“August Wilson is without question one of America’s greatest playwrights ever,” said REP company actor Hassan El-Amin, who performs in the playß. “A Black man, and the stories he told about the Black experience in America deserve to be shared for a lifetime.”

Wilson’s legacy continues to resonate with audiences today. His plays have become essential works of the American theatrical canon, bringing African American history, culture, family and community to the center of the stage while inviting audiences to consider whose stories are told and whose voices are heard.

The production also marks an important milestone for the University’s performing arts community. As REP begins its 19th season, the Louise and David Roselle Center for the Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary. For two decades, the CFA has served as a gathering place for artists, students, faculty, staff and audiences, providing a home for theatre, music, dance and the performing arts while welcoming the broader Delaware community.

“As the REP nears its 20th anniversary it’s great to explore a piece like this with our audience, many of whom have been with us from the beginning and many new to us each season, “said Gotch. “It’s about the power experience has in shaping each of us over time and the ways in which memory serves as both a touchstone for personal integrity and a place from which we keep moving forward together in the face of both collective and individual hardships and challenges."

The production also offers members of the University community an affordable opportunity to experience professional theatre on campus.  Student tickets start at just $15, with discounts also available for UD faculty and staff. Audience engagement opportunities include pre-performance prologues and post-show talkbacks, offering opportunities to explore the play and its themes beyond the performance itself.

Performances of August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned begin Sept. 4 and continue through Sept. 20 in the Thompson Theatre at the Roselle Center for the Arts, 110 Orchard Road, Newark. For tickets and performance information, visit www.rep.udel.edu or call the Box Office at 302-831-2204.