Wilsons melody here is the mournful sound of what might have been, a blues-tinged tale about a driven, almost demonic man. Hes a petty thief named King who will stop at nothing for a better life. . . .King Hedleyis a big play, filled with big emotions and big speeches. These aria-like monologues are rich in humor, heartbreak and the astonishing details that go into creating real people. With his latest arrival on Broadway, Wilson only has the first and last decades of the twentieth century to chronicleits been quite a journey.King Hedleywill only add to that towering achievement.Michael Kuchwara,Associated Press

What makes Wilson Americas greatest living playwrightaside from his gift for dialogue, which blends searing poetry with uncompromising realismis the bracing humanism with which he provides insight into the struggles and aspirations of all individuals.Elysa Gardner,USA Today

King Hedley IIis the eighth work in playwright August Wilsons 10-play cycle chronicling the history of the African American experience in each decade of the twentieth century. Its set in 1985 and tells the story of an ex-con in post-Reagan Pittsburgh trying to rebuild his life. Many critics have hailed the work as a haunting and challenging tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.