Casting Announced for Signature Theatre's Revival of King Hedley II

Signature Theatre Company announced final casting for its revival of King Hedley II, the third play in its August Wilson series. Directed by Derrick Sanders, King Hedley II will begin previews on February 20 and run through April 15 at company's Peter Norton Space.

The cast for King Hedley II features Russell Hornsby Jitney at Second Stage in the title role, along with Cherise Boothe Blues for an Alabama Sky at Berkshire Theatre Festival, Lynda Gravatt Intimate Apparel at Roundabout Theatre Company, Stephen McKinley Henderson Seven Guitars at Signature, Curtis McClarin Drowning Crow at Manhattan Theatre Club and Lou Myers The Piano Lesson on Broadway.

Set in a backyard in the decaying Hill District of Pittsburgh, King Hedley II follows the characters created by August Wilson in Seven Guitars. A woman is tormented by a secret she has kept for 36 years, while her only son returns home after serving time for murder to find a neighborhood riddled with crime, poverty and broken families. King's epic struggle to survive is at the center of this poetic portrayal of life in the inner city during the 1980s.

The play originally opened on Broadway on May 1, 2001, and closed two months later in spite of receiving six Tony nominations, including Best Play and acting nominations for Brian Stokes Mitchell in the title role, Leslie Uggams and Charles Brown. Viola Davis won the featured actress Tony for her performance.

The Signature's production of King Hedley II has scenic design by David Gallo, costumes by Reggie Ray, lights by Thom Weaver and sound by Jill BC Duboff. All tickets are $15, made possible by the lead sponsorship of Time Warner Inc.