Theater Studies: Stage Production of August Wilson
Introduction
The play fences, written by August Wilson, received recognition in the 1950s but became produced in 1983. It entails the sixth piece comprised in August Wilson’s ten part “Pittsburgh Cycle” which revolves around the exploration of the evolution of African-American experiences as well as the examination of racial relations. The play employs a setting based on activities carried out in 1957 where a small dirt front yard of the Maxson household depicts an ancient two-story brick house set back off a small alley. The picture portrayed in the setting entails the impoverished inner-city Hill District in Pittsburgh. The production of such events initiated the premier of the play on Broadway at the 46th Street Theater on the 26th of March, 1987 and ended on June 26th, 1988. It saw a total of 525 performances during the period under the directorship of Lloyd Richards. The cast to these performances included James Earl Jones who played the character Troy Maxson, Mary Alice who casted as Rose, Ray Aranha as Jim Bono and Frankie R. Faison who played Gabriel. In addition, Courtney B. Vance played the role of Cory. These aspects will be discussed throughout this paper with emphasis on how the stage production may have evolved over the past three decades. The focus on these areas will encompass on the themes utilized in the play, the plot, and the cast as well as other relevant aspects that seem prevalent in the production.
The play “Fences” saw its first presentation on stage as a reading at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in 1983 during the National Playwrights Conference. The performance initiated on the 30th of April, in 1985 at the Yale Repertory Theater during a production under the directorship of Lloyd Richards. It was followed by a victorious reception by winning the major accolades during the time that included the Tony Award for Best Play and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. The other awards entailed the John Gassner Outer Critic’s Circle Award followed by the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. These awards saw the play set a record for a Broadway production that did not incorporate musical elements and clinched a total gross sales of $11 million in that year. The main themes applied in the play entail the on-going events in the relationships of the family that portrayed an essential revolution (Sandra, 27). The revolution started in the early 1980s when Wilson’s initial works premiered at the Yale Rep followed by production in regional theaters across the state. The success behind the revolution of Wilson’s plays such as Fences entails the fact that he together with the director employed and utilized non-profit theaters where the audiences were required to subscribe with the aim of developing and nurturing the work of the actors and actresses (Sandra, 27).
The production of the Play Fences revolutionized the perceptions within the industry in terms of the types of drama that could excel on the streets. It also facilitated in the colorization of the lineup at regional theaters where most of the subscription audiences at most of the larger theaters in the United States include white people. However, the play brought about significant transitions in that the initial production process of plays such as Fences on frequent basis saw the white subscription audiences become accustomed to the fact that they would get used to people who looked different from them on stage (Sandra, 28). Most importantly, the play introduced a system of collaboration between the theaters where Wilson’s plays were performed and the generation of the idea of co-productions. The stage production of the play brought about the development of various aspects such as the necessary components, the map and a platform guiding people towards telling their stories. It also provided the framework through which people in other generations may carry on the important components with the pain, pride, joy, anger and the beauty (Sandra, 28).
The ten plays written by August Wilson are often referred to as the Century Cycle due to the reason that each of them was set in a different decade in the twentieth century. The plot behind the play portrays Wilson’s diversion to Troy whose role characterizes a 53 year old man struggling to provide for his family. The setting occurs in Pittsburgh in several locations where Troy’s character entails an exceptional African American baseball player in his middle age who spent most of his time practicing while in prison after he was involved in an accidental murder he had committed during a robbery. However, racial segregation in all aspects during the time as well as hi age prevented him from venturing into professional baseball as black people could not participate in Major League Baseball (Wessling, 125). These aspects hindered him from earning a good living and thus he secured a job in garbage collection an endeavor that saw him cross the race barrier to become a driver. At home, Troy lived with his wife, Rose, his sons Cory and Gabriel who had returned home from the army after an injury to the head brought him significant psychological damage. The other characters that emerge in the play entail Lyons, Troy’s son from another marriage and Bono Troy’s best friend (Wessling, 125).
The play opens on payday where Troy and Bono are found drinking and talking thus revealing Troy’s character through his speech where he approached his boss, Mr. Rand, and enquired on why black men were not allowed to drive garbage trucks. Rose and Lyons join the conversation and Lyons, a musician, asks Troy to lend him some money with the assurance that he would pay it back soon since his girlfriend, Bonnie, had secured a job. The conversation continues with Troy scolding his son by narrating the hardships in life but eventually gives him the money as a loan of ten dollars after Rose had persuaded him. The play continues and events unfold where almost mid of the play Troy is found to be entangled in an affair with Alberta who becomes pregnant.
However, in another setting, a conversation between Troy and Cory emerges where they discuss an opportunity for a college football scholarship (Roudane and Christopher, 138). Nevertheless, Troy shuns the idea by telling Cory that he would not allow his son to play football based on fear of racial discrimination similar to the one he faced while playing professional baseball. An argument emerges between Cory and Troy but Troy sticks to his word to an extent that he speaks to Cory’s coach informing him that Cory would no longer be on the team or rather play football (Roudane and Christopher, 138). These events lead into a fight between Cory and Troy and Cory gets kicked out of their house.
In another incident, Troy receives a call informing him that Alberta had passed on while giving birth to their child. Rose agrees to adopt the child named Raynell and take care of her as her own. About seven years later, Troy dies at the same period when Cory returns home from military training. Cory indicates hesitance in attending his father’s funeral but his mother persuades him to pay his father the last respect. Towards the end of the play several themes become prevalent through Bono buying a refrigerator for Troy’s wife which he had promised to do if Troy finally finished building the fence (Roudane and Christopher, 138). The significance of the fence as portrayed by Troy entailed the conceptualization of an allegory that would safe guard them from the grim reaper. On the other hand, Rose had her intentions for making Troy build the fence where she indicated that it served the purpose of securing her family and property. According to Rose, the fence would ensure that the properties belonging to the family would be locked inside the fence while those belonging outside it would be kept outside (Roudane and Christopher, 138).
The Pittsburgh cycle refers to the ten plays written by August Wilson over every decade in the twentieth century. Most of the plays were performed based on a setting in Pittsburgh’s city Hill District where Wilson absorbed the stories, passions, voices and places of the people where the Hill plays the metaphoric role on the African Americans. The year 1904 saw Hill District develop into a multiethnic zone divided among African Americans by a third, Eastern European Jews by the other third and the other third comprised of all other ethnic groups. In this region, the African Americans managed to develop their activities through entertainment in terms of music such as jazz, sports, journalism as well as other activities (Patricia, 18). However, the middle of the century saw the Hill District become divided based on urban renewal coupled with protest of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Resultantly, these activities enhanced the development of August Wilson’s plays based on the stories and encounters he experienced in Pittsburgh. Works of art portrayed by Wilson depicted stories harboring the memories and history of the evolution of African Americans through stories comprising of honor, love, duty and betrayal. The production of Wilson’s plays mentions the names, shops, streets and addresses based in Hill District where he lived and grew up. He employs memories regarding the gossip and card playing in the backyard marking the setting of some of his plays (Patricia, 18). The cycle behind the play Fences takes place across Bedford at the house belonging to the retired fighter Charlie Burley who closely resembled Troy Maxson.
Additionally, the cycle related to the play Fences entails the recount of the activities that took place in 1957 which marks a memorable year in black American history with events across the nation that foretold the coming of civil rights era. Wilson utilized these events to portray how often the effects were little felt by average citizens. The achievement of these aspects occurred through the writing of the history of African American experiences through the examination of their culture as opposed to the events taking place during the time (Patricia, 22). He also managed to capture the memories of people by depicting the activities that took place during the time and bringing them out through the characters. For instance, he uses the character of a garbage man to portray the common man people assume and a man affected by similar things such as honor, beauty, betrayal, love, just to mention but a few. He revolves the play around Troy by showing how responsible he was in terms of his job and his family and managed to survive despite the circumstances (Patricia, 22).
Evolution of the production
Over the years, Wilson’s plays have been revolutionized to depict the similar incidents taking place in life today and also to teach people of their origin. The revolution of these aspects occurs through the revival of the play through similar prospects but with different characters since most of the original cast members died years back. The first attempt to revive the play took place in 2010 at the Court Theater where the parties involved aimed at performing the play in thirteen weeks under the directorship of Kenny Leon. The production that took place featured actors such as Denzel Washington who played the character of Troy Maxson and Viola Davis who acted as Rose. These two stars played the role of a couple depicting the challenges faced by families existing during those days under racial relations (Davis, 49). The revival of the Fences production saw nominations to about ten Tony Awards where it acquired three as the Best Revival of Play. The cast members also acquired awards with Denzel Washington clinching the Best Actor in the play while Viola clinched the Best Actress award. Additionally, there have been attempts to produce the play locally at “Theater-Works” in 2000 as well as the “San Jose Multicultural Artists Guild” and the “Tabia African American Theater Ensemble” in 2007. These may be coupled by the “Lorraine Hansberry Theater” in 2008 while the “Altarena Playhouse” saw production attempts in 2012 (Davis, 50).
The production of the play Fences has undergone various instances of evolution in that the cast members involved include people from different ethnic backgrounds who are also widely appreciated across the globe. The production of the play based on these characters involves advanced technology that manages to depict the actual incidents similar to those employed in the original play. These aspects allow people to understand the events depicted in a more historical manner that allows them to relate to their origins. In addition, the depiction of such events based on current trends in the film industry allow people to understand how their nation developed in a manner that all ethnic groups may live together and most importantly be treated equal (Joodaki, 63). However, since racial discrimination still applies in some areas in the modern society, the play allows people to understand ways of overcoming it through the involvement of people from different cultures in the production of such masterpieces.
Most important, the production of the play “fences” during the 20th century era involved performances in theaters where only white people were entitled to subscriptions. However, the play revolutionized such activities through bringing together people from all races in a one forum where they might enjoy the beauty and appreciate the remarkable work conducted by the cast members as well as the directors (Joodaki, 63). These aspects have over the years enhanced the level of production through increment in subscriptions to theaters by people from all races. It also creates a forum where al people get equal treatment regardless of the ethnicity, color or race. In addition, most modern directors as well as play wrights have developed the necessary skills for depicting stories that occurred in the past through the utilization of technology to ensure that the audience relates to events that took place during the time (Joodaki, 63).
The recent endeavors of reviving August Wilson’s work brings about the debut of directors such as Derrick Sanders who plays a major role as one of America’s preeminent interpreters. The revival of such encounters creates the importance for people to appreciate their roots in order to understand the events that characterized the liberty they enjoy today. August Wilson played an important role in creating platform where people could express their feelings, attitudes and thoughts based on the events taking place in the society the live (Ogoanah, 229). He also managed to teach people to appreciate such events with love, anger, betrayal, just to mention but a few. In addition, Wilson creates the significance of involvement in societal organization through reference to areas where he got most of his information through stories narrated by people.
Nevertheless, the stage production of Wilson’s work faces evolution through the appreciation of the cast members as well as parties involved at global standards where they get awards that earn them a living. The reliance on such activities have proven worthy as actors and actresses earn their living from portraying their talents in playing the characters of other people in a professional manner. Similarly, Wilson’s play teaches people about dedication to responsibilities and duties to family members and the society at large as opposed to negligence or departure from them due to pressure from societal circumstances (Ogoanah, 229). These aspects have opened doors for the development of forums where young may study the elements of professional film production and pursue acting as a career. These may be followed closely by awarding platforms that appreciate the efforts of the parties involved that makes it more memorable and historical.
Conclusion
The play fences focuses on depicting the activities that took place in the 20th century that characterized the development of the civil rights as well as attempts to end discrimination based on ethnicity, race or color. The events portrayed in the play show the struggles African Americans faced in surviving within the white people as well as the segregation they faced in attempts to pursue activities dominated by the white people. The production of play employs a setting based on the common life of African Americans and the challenges they face on a daily basis. However, Wilson manages to bring out the positivity in the events through prevalence of success factors such as people coming together to work as one and the end of racial discrimination. Most importantly, the events captured Wilson initiate positive development of generations living in harmony and pursuing their goals with the incorporation of others (Menson-Furr, 97).
Works Cited
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