Director Ron 'OJ' Parsons knows something about playwright August Wilson. In fact, Parsons met Wilson on numerous occasions before his death in 2005. He's in town to stage Wilson's 'Gem of the Ocean' at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati.  

All too often, August Wilson is termed a great African-American playwright. That's foolishness. Go see 'Gem of the Ocean' at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati and tell me if you can think of a better script by any American playwright, one with more poetry, emotion or affecting characters.   

Accordingly, it's a fine work to inaugurate the new theater space at the Madisonville Arts Center, where Queen City Off Broadway has landed after several years of performing downtown and in Northside.