Phylicia Rashad Performs "Gem of the Ocean" Aunt Ester Scene

American Masters
Air Date: 02/20/15 | Rating: TV-PG

In August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean," Aunt Ester is a matriarch and former slave. Phylicia Rashad performed the role on Broadway and in a dramatic reading created for August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, she enacts when Ester reveals the existence of the spiritual and symbolic City of Bones, made from African ancestors who died while crossing the Atlantic Ocean during the Middle Passage.

Become a PBS KVIE member and watch your favorite PBS programs from any device.

Become a Sponsor