FENCES
Directed by award-winning theater and film writer-director Monty Cole, American Blues Theater brings to the stage one of America's greatest playwrights, August Wilson. FENCES is the third installment in Wilson's ten-part "Pittsburgh Cycle." It examines the struggles and racism African-Americans experienced living in a world where they feared black masculinity and blacks were considered unintelligent and incapable of performing jobs that white people performed. Written in 1985, FENCES focuses on Troy, a proud garbage collector with an unfortunate circumstance that caused him to go to prison. As a result, this ex-convict who once had a promising baseball future was stripped of his chances to succeed.
Nevertheless, he is determined to provide for his family and raise his boys to become men that never depend on help from anyone, especially the white man. His devoted wife, Rose, is the stabilizing force of the family of two boys, Lyons and Cory. Troy is an example of black men's oppression during the 50s. Being overlooked and deprived of applying for more profitable high-paying jobs, never receiving promotions, forced low wages, and inhumane working conditions robbed them of their dignity.
Hanging a baseball from the rope was used to help players independently perfect their swing. Still, to Troy, it symbolizes the lynching of his major league baseball career, taken away by the hatred of whites who refused to allow blacks to play professional baseball. I remember attending a Cubs game with my mother as a young kid when Hank Aaron was chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. I could see the fear in my mother's eyes as the fans uttered abhorrent and repulsive words of hatred. She feared that these men might decide to hurt us, so we left the game. Wilson highlighted these inoculating situations where he focused on the racial elements African-Americans experience in many of his plays; however, FENCES deals with the generational curse of the sickness that oppression caused to the black family, especially the father and son relationship.
“Death ain’t nothing but a fastball on the outside corner. ”
Troy's (Kamal Angelo Bolden) relationship with his sons is distant and lacks feelings of love, compassion, or understanding. During Lyons's youth (William Anthony Sebastian Rose II), Troy, his father, was incarcerated, and they never developed a relationship. Leaving Troy's younger son, Cory (Ajax Dontavius), to feel the brunt of his father's ignominious from a world where whites demean him as a man and steal his chances of being a professional ballplayer. Wilson's overview of the destruction of the black family also dealt with the pains of marital deception, loneliness, and the separation of trust.
FENCES, which to me is the blues written into a play, does show how blacks overcame their adversities by coming together during hard times. Troy crosses the race barrier and becomes Pittsburgh's first Black truck driver after speaking out about no black drivers. And Rose, showing the black woman's incredible compassion for raising Troy's daughter, conceived outside of their marriage.
Kamal Angelo Bolden starred as Troy Maxson, dedicated the opening show to his dear friend Victoria Edwards who died of complications from COVID this past December. Victoria loved August Wilson and designed the new Century Cycle Exhibit at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. In addition, a gallery was dedicated to her in her honor at the center. Bolden, who starred in Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3), is excellent as the troubled-spirited father, who is doing the best he can with what he has. Bolden is an exceptional actor, and his impeccable and powerful presence will captivate the audience.
““Your daddy wanted you to be everything he wasn’t...and at the same time, he tried to make you into everything he was. I don’t know if he was right or wrong...but I do know he meant to do more good than he meant to do harm.”- August Wilson, ‘Fences.’”
Another outstanding performance came from Shanésia Davis (Rose); she displayed the essence of a black woman struggling to keep her family together while maintaining her sanity in a house of prideful men. Manny Buckley (Gabriel), Martel Manning (Jim Bono), Dontavius, and Rose II rounded off an excellent night of theater. Special praise goes to the performance of Riley Wells as Raynell. We can't wait to see her career in theater bloom.
The play's tragedy shows the oppression of stripping a man's dignity and labeling him inferior, lacking intelligence that that racist environment can destroy his will and cause uncompromising and unmovable barriers which can separate him from his friends and family.
Let's Play Theatrical Review Highly Recommends American Blues Theater FENCES at Wit Theatre.
American Blues
FENCES
Written by August Wilson
Directed by Monty Cole
JULY 1 – AUGUST 6, 2022
