Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in Chicago in the 1920s, and deals with issues of race, art, religion, and the historic exploitation of Black recording artists by white producers. The play's title comes from Ma Rainey's song of the same name, which refers to the Black Bottom dance. Rainey, whose life as a well-known blues-singer of the 1920s is an inspiration for the play, is also the titular character. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was published in the early 1980s and premiered at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Its Broadway debut at the Cort Theatre in 1984 won a New York Drama Critics' Circle award and garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Play.
| Written by | August Wilson |
| Date premiered | 1984 |
| Place premiered | Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut |
| Original language | English |
| Series | The Pittsburgh Cycle |
| Subject | A blues group waits to get to work in the studio, and tempers flare. |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | Chicago, early 1927 |
About Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
A renowned blues singer and her band congregate at a Chicago based recording studio, leading tensions to rise during the late nineteen twenties. The film was directed by George C. Wolfe.
Achievement of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
The movie is based upon playwright August Wilson's production of the same name. During its first weekend on Netflix, it claimed the honor of number one most watched title.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Plays set in Illinois.. Chicago in fiction.. Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.. Plays by August Wilson.. The Pittsburgh Cycle.. New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners.. American plays adapted into films.
Latest information about Ma Rainey's Black Bottom updated on July 28 2021.
