August Wilson and the film industry

[morosco]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 7:03pm

Was Wilson never particularly interested in his plays becoming films? It just dawned on me that PIANO LESSON was the only piece ever filmed and that was for television.

[winston89]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 8:06pm

I don't know who directed The Piano Lesson when it was on TV. But, I do know that he had an issue with his plays becoming films. He didn't want a white director directing any movie versions of his plays. This conversation came around when Sher was announced to direct Joe Turner. Wilson's thought was that he thought that a white director would miss the mark but he was okay with that for the theatre because any production of his plays wouldn't run forever but if it was a movie it would be around forever.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 8:20pm

The TV production of Piano Lesson was directed by Lloyd Richards.

[morosco]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 8:26pm

I did find some more information...

"...Paramount tried to make a movie of "Fences," which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987. When the studio recruited a white director, Wilson insisted on a black one. The movie was never made.

"When there's a Jewish movie, 'Schindler's List,' a Jewish director directed it," he said. "And when you have an Italian movie, 'The Godfather,' Steven Spielberg didn't direct that, even though he could have -- he's an excellent director -- but they got Francis Ford Coppola.

"I was willing to give up my movie, and I did. Why? Because something is not always better than nothing."

August Wilson: Playwright Takes Spotlight Updated On: 6/8/09 at 08:26 PM

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 8:43pm

One wonders whether his widow will have such a requirement for making films of his works since she did not refuse Mr. Sher as director.

That said, plays generally would translate into TV movies more readily than film in that both rely more on audio than film. Does not mean you can't make a good film of a play, though.

[winston89]

Posted: 6/8/09 at 10:02pm

Yes, his widow gave the green light for Sher directing Joe Turner because it was for the stage. August's view was that he was okay with a white director directing for the stage because a stage production doesn't last forever and will only be there for a short period of time. Whereas, a film will be there forever.

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:16am

That was August, but his widow is not the same.

She felt it was about getting the work out.

There was no hint at the symposium at Lincoln Center that she would refuse a film version based on the color of the director.

Please give a cite (if there is one) that claims she would refuse a film director who was not black.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:42am

Wilson's requirement that FENCES was directed by a black director was very controversial. Even some black directors were bothered by Wilson's remarks. I doubt his widow would agree to something that he so firmly opposed.