15 years ago, a Portland Playhouse production of August Wilson’s Radio Golf forever changed the trajectory of the North Portland theatre company, putting it on the cultural map in Oregon and beyond. Now the Playhouse is preparing to produce their 8th of the 10 plays in Wilson’s revered “American Century Cycle” – a collection that chronicles the 20th century African American experience in the Hill District, the working-class Pittsburgh neighborhood where Wilson was born and raised. Each play is set in a different decade, beginning with Gem of the Ocean in the 1900s and concluding the century with the 1990s’ Radio Golf. “Put them all together,” Wilson once said of the Century Cycle, “and you have a history.”

The work of August Wilson, a fixture of Portland Playhouse’s early seasons, had been absent from their stage since 2018’s production of Fences, when Lou Bellamy, a close personal friend of Wilson and one of the foremost interpreters of his theatrical work - as well as an OBIE-winning director in his own right - made his first trip to direct at the Playhouse. Now Bellamy, best known in theatrical circles as founder and artistic director emeritus of St. Paul, Minnesota’s Penumbra Theatre, has put his touch on his fourth Playhouse production, directing Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone to both critical and popular acclaim. The Playhouse production, whose opening coincided with the announcement of broad NEA funding cuts, has just extended performances through the middle of June.

Joe Turner… is chronologically the second play of the American Century Cycle, set in 1911 with the Great Migration in full swing. Wilson turns his focus on the character of Herald Loomis, a man newly free after seven years of forced labor on a chain gang, who is now searching the country for his estranged wife. Loomis’ story unfolds on stage in a Pittsburgh boarding house, while his journey mirrors the broader African American pursuit of identity and cultural grounding in the time period following the abolition of slavery. With themes of heritage, liberation, and the deep yearning for a place to call home, August Wilson uses Joe Turner’s Come and Gone to deliver a profound reflection on resilience, community bonds, and the indomitable spirit of freedom.

Bellamy directs a stellar cast of seasoned performers - three of whom return from Fences to again explore Wilson alongside him: Lester Purry as the colorful “conjure” man Bynum Walker; Bobby Bermea as boarding house proprietor Seth Holly; and La’Tevin Alexander as Loomis, on the hunt for his family and his foundation. They are joined by Ramona Lisa Alexander (seen at the Playhouse this March in the tour-de-force Notes from the Field), Leif Norby, Cycerli Ash, Xzavier Beacham, Ashlee Radney, and Tessa May. The two youth roles in the show are shared by Ellis-Blake Hale and Nia Scott (Zonia Loomis), and Justin Karneh and Kamari Rivers (Reuben Scott) - all Playhouse newcomers with the exception of Scott, one of the stars of last season’s Matilda. Wanda Walden (Costumes), Tyler Buswell (Scenery), Miranda Hardy (Lighting), Ryann St Julien (Props), and Rory Breshears (Sound) bring Wilson’s world to life in Portland Playhouse’s intimate space, inviting audiences to step into 1911 Pittsburgh life right alongside the cast.

“This is an important show for our world right now,” says Playhouse Artistic Director Brian Weaver. “One of Portland Playhouse’s primary values is Belonging, and Joe Turner offers us a deep meditation on what exactly this means. August Wilson holds a special place here, and the passion and spirit of his work continue to inspire the ways we make theatre and engage with our audiences - and our world - in 2025.”

Portland audiences are sure to be enticed by the prospect of seeing a world-class August Wilson production right in their backyard. But even more than a satisfying night of theatre, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone offers a powerful reminder of the importance of community; a poignant reflection of the unbreakable desire for kinship; a celebration of African American resilience; and an enduring illustration of the power of discovering where you belong. Now running through June 15th.