Gem of the Ocean Plot Summary
Please note, this summary contains spoilers.
Gem of the Ocean takes place in 1904 in Pittsburgh's Hill District. The Hill is home to the city’s Black community, many of whom were formerly enslaved or children of those who survived slavery and migrated North to escape poverty, discrimination and danger in the south. The play is set in the home of Aunt Ester's, the community’s spiritual leader who is believed to be 285 years old and to have the power to “wash people’s souls.” Aunt Ester lives at 1839 Wylie Avenue with her mentee Black Mary, and her protector, Eli. The house is frequently visited by Solly Two Kings, a formerly enslaved man who helped many escape to freedom, and a white traveling salesman, Rutherford Selig.
Citizen Barlow, a migrant from Alabama, hears of Aunt Ester’s powers and seeks her out in hopes to be healed of guilt that weighs on him. At the local mill, a man named Garrett Brown had been falsely accused of stealing a bucket of nails. While pleading his innocence, he had drowned in the river rather than allowing the town’s lawman, Caesar, to arrest him. The town sees Garrett Brown as a martyr, and the people begin to strike at the mill. It falls to Caesar (Black Mary’s brother) to restore peace, but before he can do so, a riot begins and the mill is set on fire. Citizen confesses to Aunt Ester that he had stolen the nails in an act of protest against the poor conditions for him and other Black workers at the mill. He feels responsible for Garret Brown’s death and hopes that Aunt Ester can help free him from the shame he is carrying.
Aunt Ester performs a ritual that transports Citizen to the City of Bones — a city built at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and a place where he can confront his guilt and be granted forgiveness. The celebration at the end of the ritual is interrupted by Caesar who accuses Solly of setting the mill on fire. Fearing the repercussions of Solly‘s actions, Aunt Ester sends Citizen to find Rutherford Selig to help smuggle Solly away. Solly, Selig, and Citizen slip away just as Caesar arrives to arrest Aunt Ester for aiding a fugitive before going after Solly. Citizen returns with news that Caesar has shot Solly. Citizen and Selig bring the wounded Solly in, and Aunt Ester and Black Mary sing a hymn over him. Solly dies. Caesar then comes back, this time to arrest Citizen for his participation in Solly‘s escape. Black Mary denounces her brother, cutting all ties with him due to his lack of empathy for others. Without saying a word, Caesar leaves. Citizen then takes Solly‘s walking stick and coat and leaves to continue Solly‘s work, bringing his people to freedom.
More about August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean:
The Hill District
The Hill District is a 1.4-square-mile section of Pittsburgh that has been predominantly African American since the 19th century. This small strip of Pittsburgh is where a majority of the Century Cycle Plays are located. To understand more, read to explore where these plays come from!
From the Director: Chip Miller
Director Chip Miller on the significance of memory, history, and ancestral connection in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean and the other plays of Wilson's Century Cycle.
Behind the Curtain: Spotlight on Aunt Ester
Over the course of approximately 26 years, Wilson wrote one play for each decade in the 20th century. At the center of this tapestry stands Aunt Ester, the character which Wilson himself deemed the most significant in his plays.
The Century Cycle
Beginning in 1904 with Gem of the Ocean and ending in 1997 with Radio Golf, August Wilson's 10-play American Century Cycle charts the lived experience of African Americans throughout the 20th century. Learn more about each of these plays and their connection to one another.
Reviews of Gem of the Ocean
"Introspective and keenly engaged with the problems of the world … the play shows that to fix what influences you, you first have to understand and come to terms with, yourself." – Chicago Critic
Gem of the Ocean Reading List
Calling all readers! Multnomah County Library put together a reading list inspired by our production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean.
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