American Masters

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

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.

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

2m 23s

  • Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service [ASL + OC]: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service [ASL + OC]

    12m 41s

    This version contains on-screen ASL interpretation and open captions. Explore the story of the U.S. Senator for Hawai’i who was injured in battle during World War II, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Inouye championed the cause of justice and equality for all Americans, including people living with disabilities.

  • Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service [Extended Audio Description + OC]: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service [Extended Audio Description + OC]

    15m 31s

    This version contains extended audio description and large open captions. Explore the story of the U.S. Senator for Hawai’i who was injured in battle during World War II, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Inouye championed the cause of justice and equality for all Americans, including people living with disabilities.

  • Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service

    12m 41s

    Explore the story of the U.S. Senator for Hawai’i who was injured in battle during World War II, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifelong public service, Inouye championed the cause of justice and equality for all Americans, including people living with disabilities.

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