Dallas, October 19, 2025
News Summary
Soul Rep Theatre is staging a powerful production of August Wilson’s ‘King Hedley II’ at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center, exploring themes of resilience in hard times. The play takes place in 1985 Pittsburgh and runs until October 26, featuring a cast led by Brian Gibson. With a runtime of over three hours, the production challenges audiences with its complex characters and incorporates a musical range from gospel to hip-hop.
Dallas — Soul Rep Theatre’s staging at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center presents a dense, character-driven production of August Wilson’s “King Hedley II” that centers on resilience amid economic and spiritual hardship. The company is running the play through October 26 with ticket prices ranging from $20 to $30, and the performance runs approximately three hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.
Key facts and lead details
The production features August Wilson’s “King Hedley II,” the ninth play in his Pittsburgh Cycle. The story is set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District during the year 1985 and explores themes of financial and spiritual oppression among its characters. The central character, King, is played by Brian Gibson and has just returned home from a seven-year prison sentence. King dreams of opening a video store with his friend Mister, portrayed by Jamal Sterling.
Supporting details: characters, themes and creative choices
The production does not offer easy answers but presents a landscape of complex and vulnerable characters trying to do the right thing despite the odds stacked against them. King’s mother, Ruby, played by Anyika McMillan-Herod, criticizes the dirt King uses to plant a garden, symbolizing the struggle to grow out of difficult backgrounds. Elmore, a huckster portrayed by Jerrold Trice, enters the storyline with a history that complicates Ruby’s life. The play also employs music from gospel to hip-hop as a historical connector to African American culture.
Director Jamal McNeil aims to keep the action moving at a pace that prevents audience restlessness. The play features various philosophical musings from Stool Pigeon, an older neighbor character played by Dennis Raveneau. The production foregrounds personal and family struggles, honor, and the search for better opportunities, emphasizing that everyone possesses their own theories and stories which can evolve dramatically over time.
Structure, length and presentation
The production runs approximately three hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission. The staging uses period-specific detail and a musical range that connects gospel to hip-hop, framing the story within the broader cultural history of African American life in the 20th century. The ensemble approach highlights how individual aims—like King’s video store—collide with broader social and economic pressures.
Context and background
August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle is a sequence of plays that examine African American life across the 20th century. “King Hedley II” is positioned chronologically and thematically within that cycle, returning to the Hill District and continuing Wilson’s focus on community, legacy, and the weight of history. The themes on stage draw directly from lived experiences and the ways personal histories shape contemporary choices.
The production is available to view at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center until October 26, with ticket prices ranging from $20 to $30. Audience members should expect a dense, character-driven evening that prioritizes interior life and moral complexity over tidy resolutions.
What to expect
- Length: three hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission
- Location: Bishop Arts Theatre Center
- Run dates: Available through October 26
- Tickets: $20 to $30
- Key cast: Brian Gibson as King, Jamal Sterling as Mister, Anyika McMillan-Herod as Ruby, Jerrold Trice as Elmore, and Dennis Raveneau as Stool Pigeon
- Director: Jamal McNeil
Contact and access
Tickets and schedule details are available through the Bishop Arts Theatre Center box office. The production asks audiences to prepare for a lengthy, thought-provoking performance that relies on strong ensemble work and historical musical cues to situate the story.
FAQ
What production is being presented?
The production features August Wilson’s “King Hedley II,” the ninth play in his Pittsburgh Cycle.
Where and when is the play set?
The story is set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District during the year 1985.
What are the central themes?
The play explores themes of financial and spiritual oppression among its characters.
Who plays the central character, King?
The central character, King, is played by Brian Gibson and has just returned home from a seven-year prison sentence.
What is King’s primary ambition in the play?
King dreams of opening a video store with his friend Mister, portrayed by Jamal Sterling.
How is Ruby represented in the production?
King’s mother, Ruby, played by Anyika McMillan-Herod, criticizes the dirt King uses to plant a garden, symbolizing the struggle to grow out of difficult backgrounds.
Does the production provide clear resolutions?
The production does not offer easy answers but presents a landscape of complex and vulnerable characters trying to do the right thing despite the odds stacked against them.
Who complicates Ruby’s life?
Elmore, a huckster portrayed by Jerrold Trice, enters the storyline with a history that complicates Ruby’s life.
What musical range does the play include?
The play employs music from gospel to hip-hop as a historical connector to African American culture.
Who is the director and what is his approach?
Director Jamal McNeil aims to keep the action moving at a pace that prevents audience restlessness.
Which character offers philosophical musings?
The play features various philosophical musings from Stool Pigeon, an older neighbor character played by Dennis Raveneau.
How long is the production?
The production runs approximately three hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.
What broader themes anchor the play?
The themes are rooted in experiences of African Americans in the 20th century, drawing on personal and family struggles, honor, and the search for better opportunities.
What idea about personal narratives does the play emphasize?
The play emphasizes the idea that everyone possesses their own theories and stories, which can evolve dramatically over time.
Where and when can audiences see the production?
The production is available to view at the Bishop Arts Theatre Center until October 26, with ticket prices ranging from $20 to $30.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | “King Hedley II” |
| Play in Cycle | the ninth play in his Pittsburgh Cycle |
| Setting | Pittsburgh’s Hill District (1985) |
| Main character | King (played by Brian Gibson) |
| Director | Jamal McNeil |
| Venue and run | Bishop Arts Theatre Center until October 26 |
| Runtime | Three hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission |
| Ticket prices | $20 to $30 |
| Musical range | Gospel to hip-hop |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Dallas Arts Scene Highlights Fall Productions
Additional Resources
- Visit Dallas: King Hedley II
- Swarthmore Phoenix: King Hedley II Review
- New City Stage: Review of King Hedley II
- The New York Times: King Hedley II Review
- Catholic Herald: King Hedley II
- Wikipedia: King Hedley II
- Google Search: King Hedley II
- Encyclopedia Britannica: King Hedley II
- Google News: King Hedley II
- Google Scholar: August Wilson King Hedley II
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