(Re)generating August Wilson—Legacy, Resilience, and Cultural Renewal (NeMLA)
Pittsburgh
Organization: American/Diaspora Studies Area, NeMLA
Event: NeMLA
Note that abstracts must be submitted through NeMLA's portal: https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21954
NeMLA’s 2026 keyword is (Re)generation, defined as the process of bringing forth something new, more powerful, vigorous, efficient, and healthier—a continual renewal of the humanities through inclusive dialogue, restorative justice, and political empowerment.
August Wilson’s work offers a dynamic site for such (re)generation: his plays both preserve and reinvent African American cultural memory, amplifying voices historically marginalized in American drama.
We invite abstracts that:
Investigate renewal of narrative and memory in plays like Fences or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: how do these texts regenerate community histories and serve as vessels of resilience?
Develop pedagogical and community-based approaches: how might Wilson’s work facilitate restorative justice in classroom practice, community engagement, or activist performance?
Explore interdisciplinary regeneration: theatrical adaptations, digital projects, visual art, music, or dance that reinterpret Wilson’s texts for contemporary audiences.
Engage with digital archiving and legacy-building: consider how emerging digital humanities platforms or theater archives regenerate Wilson’s cultural presence.
Examine political and justice-oriented reinterpretations: Wilson’s representations of systemic inequity as frameworks for modern social movements, activism, or policy scholarship.
https://www.cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21954
Cole Lowman