When a young man arrives in 1904 Pittsburgh seeking a fresh start, he becomes entangled in a local dispute. Aunt Ester, a 285-year old spiritual matriarch, takes him on a journey to a mythological city which connects him to his ancestors, defines his duty to the town, and introduces him to the love of his life. The first chronological play in August Wilson’s ten-play American Century Cycle, “Gem of the Ocean” is a powerful and poetic story of redemption, history, and self-determination.