August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned

Wednesday, August 12, 2026 | Rubenstein Forum, Friedman Hall
Doors at 6:00pm | Reading at 6:30pm
Free (Reservations Recommended)

To launch the first night of readings for the 2026 Spotlight Reading Series 10th Anniversary Festival, acclaimed Chicago director and Court Theatre Resident Artist, Ron OJ Parson steps out of the director’s chair and onto the stage to portray the master playwright himself in August Wilson’s autobiographical solo masterpiece, How I Learned What I Learned.

This rare performance marks a deeply profound moment for Court Theatre as Parson, who is currently on the historic precipice of completing Wilson’s entire ten-play American Century Cycle at Court, brings an unparalleled nuance to Wilson’s words. The play is a fiercely funny, lyrical, and heartbreaking tour de force that follows Wilson’s coming-of-age in Pittsburgh’s Hill District—tracing the odd jobs, close calls, first loves, and artistic awakenings that forged one of America’s greatest literary voices. 

Do not miss this extraordinary collision of legacies, where one of Chicago’s definitive Wilsonian artists breathes life into the man behind the Century Cycle.

Photo of Ron OJ Parson by Joe Mazza.