King Hedley II 👑

Set in the year 1985 in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, King Hedley II explores the ways that urban communities survive the trauma of violence, unemployment and urban blight. King is recently released from a seven year prison sentence and must transition back to civilian life to make a way for himself in an economy that is moving a mile a minute. He quickly learns that society sees ex-convicts as invisible citizens who must find a way to make a living against impossible odds. Desperate to start his own business, King resorts to a side hustle selling stolen refrigerators only to find himself frustrated and tired of his circumstances. As he tries to plant seeds to change his life we see the ways that his mother Ruby, his wife, Tonya, his best friend, Mister, his next door neighbor, Stool-Pigeon, and Ruby’s ex-lover, Elmore are affected by his choices. The play features characters from Wilson’s earlier work, Seven Guitars (Ruby and Canewell, known here as Stool-Pigeon) and mentions other characters from the rest of the cycle such as Aunt Esther (Gem of the Ocean). King Hedley II is the son of Ruby and King Hedley I (known as simply Hedley in Seven Guitars), although the true identity of his biological father is unknown. King Hedley II is a must see play in the Wilson Pittsburgh Cycle (9th of 10 in the series) as it returns to many themes and delightful characters that Wilson fans will love and those new to Wilson’s work will enjoy.