‘Gem of the Ocean’ continues August Wilson series at CTC

With a central character who claims to be 285 years old and a storyline that follows a journey to find a city in the center of the Atlantic Ocean, mysticism and realism intersect in the Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s upcoming production of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean.”

“Gem of the Ocean” will open Friday, Jan. 24, and continue through Sunday, Feb. 9 in the CTC’s Circle Theatre.

This play is chronologically the first work in Wilson’s celebrated 10-play American Century Cycle. Each play captures the essence of the African-American experience during a decade of the 20th century. Chattanooga Theatre Centre has committed to producing the full cycle over the next 10 years, and began with last season’s “Fences.”

Set in Pittsburgh in 1904, “Gem of the Ocean” follows characters among the first generation of African-Americans to emerge after the end of the Civil War and their history of enslavement.