The Postal Service will release a stamp next month honoring August Wilson, the award-winning playwright of “Fences” and other African American dramas.
The stamp — the 44th entry in the Black Heritage series — will be released Jan. 28 and dedicated that day during a virtual ceremony on the USPS Facebook and Twitter pages.
Hailed as one of the nation’s greatest playwrights, Wilson (1945-2005) brought nonmusical African American drama to theater’s forefront.
In addition to “Fences,” his plays include “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” and “The Piano Lesson.”
Wilson received several honors for his works, including seven New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards; a Tony Award, for “Fences”; and two Pulitzer Prizes, for “Fences” and “The Piano Lesson.”
The Postal Service announced the August Wilson stamp this week. The organization unveiled several other planned releases, including stamps honoring nuclear physicist Chien-Shiung Wu and Japanese American soldiers of World War II, in November.
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