Fences
Encyclopedia
Fences is a 1983 play by American playwright August Wilson
. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle. Like all of the Pittsburgh plays, Fences explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes. The play won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
.
Jim Bono: Troy's best friend and obvious "follower" in their friendship, but is very committed to him.
Rose Maxson: Troy's wife of 18 years, and the mother of Troy's second son, Cory. She is also very faithful and puts much trust in Troy.
Cory Maxson: Troy's son who, against his father's wishes, plays football and temporarily leaves his job during the football season, infuriating his father, who eventually kicks him out of the Maxson home.
Gabriel: Troy's brother who received a substantial head wound in World War II from shrapnel. He is now insane
, believing himself to be the archangel
Gabriel
. Gabriel receives remuneration from the Army
, money which Troy takes and uses to build his house. Gabe is significant in the end when he tries to play his trumpet, fails, then dances thereby opening up the gates of heaven.
Lyons: Troy's first son who was not mothered by Rose. Troy always has the impression that Lyons only comes around for money.
Alberta: A never-seen woman Troy desires. He cheats on Rose with Alberta because it gets him away from his responsibilities. She dies giving birth to Raynell.
Raynell: Troy and Alberta's daughter. Rose accepts the duty of being Raynell's mother when Alberta dies in childbirth. Raynell is seen at the end of the play as a happy seven-year-old sowing her seeds prior to the funeral of Troy.
player in his youth, during which time he learned to play in prison. But because the color barrier had not yet been broken in Major League Baseball
, Troy was unable to make good money or to save for the future. He now lives a menial life along with his wife, Rose, his son Cory (who still lives in the house at the play's opening), and his younger brother Gabriel, an ex-soldier whose war injury occasionally causes him to act crazy. Lyons is Troy's son from a previous marriage, and lives outside the home. Bono is Troy's best friend. Troy had taken Gabriel's money to buy the house he currently lives in, since Gabriel never got a key to show his independence.
The play begins on payday, with Troy and Bono drinking and talking. Troy's character is revealed through his speech about how he went up to their boss, Mr. Rand, and asked why Black men are not allowed to drive garbage trucks (Troy works as a garbage man); Rose and Lyons join in the conversation. Lyons, a musician, has come to ask for money, confident that he will receive it from his father and promises to give him back because his girlfriend Bonnie just got a job. Troy gives his son a hard time, but eventually gives him the requested ten dollars after Rose persuades him to do so. An affair between Troy and a woman named Alberta (who is never seen in the play) is revealed, followed by the discovery that Alberta was pregnant, and died in childbirth. During the final act, Raynell, the daughter conceived in Troy's union with Alberta, is seen as a happy seven-year-old; Cory comes home from war, and after initially refusing to go to his father's funeral due to long-standing resentment, is convinced by his mother to pay his respects to his father—the man who, though hard-headed and often poor at demonstrating affection, nevertheless loved his son.
The fence referred to by the play's title is an unfinished fence in Troy's yard. It is not immediately known why Troy wants to build it, but a dramatic monologue
in the second act shows how he conceptualizes it as an allegory
—to keep the Grim Reaper away. Analogously, the fence is not completed within the course of Troy's actions; thus, he does not live to the play's conclusion. Rose also wanted to build the fence and forced her husband to start it as a means of securing what was her own, keeping what belonged inside in and what should stay outside stay out.
, the cast featured James Earl Jones
(Troy Maxson), Mary Alice
(Rose), Ray Aranha
(Jim Bono), Frankie R. Faison (Gabriel), and Courtney B. Vance
(Cory).
The production won the Tony Award
s for Best Play
, Best Actor
(James Earl Jones), Best Featured Actress
(Mary Alice), and Best Direction
(Lloyd Richards), as well as the Drama Desk Award
s for Outstanding New Play
, Outstanding Actor in a Play
(Jones), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
(Alice). It also received Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play (Faison and Vance).
The first Broadway revival of the play opened at the Cort Theatre
on April 26, 2010 with a limited 13-week engagement. Directed by Kenny Leon
, the production starred Denzel Washington
(Troy Maxson) and Viola Davis
(Rose) as the married couple struggling with changing U.S. race relations. The revival was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three for Best Revival of a Play
, Best Actor in a Play (Denzel Washington), and Best Actress in a Play
(Viola Davis).
August Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle. Like all of the Pittsburgh plays, Fences explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes. The play won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
.
Characters
Troy Maxson: The main character of the play. Married to Rose. Has three children: Lyons, Cory, and, later in the story, Raynell. He cheated on his wife of 18 years and impregnates Alberta to father Raynell.Jim Bono: Troy's best friend and obvious "follower" in their friendship, but is very committed to him.
Rose Maxson: Troy's wife of 18 years, and the mother of Troy's second son, Cory. She is also very faithful and puts much trust in Troy.
Cory Maxson: Troy's son who, against his father's wishes, plays football and temporarily leaves his job during the football season, infuriating his father, who eventually kicks him out of the Maxson home.
Gabriel: Troy's brother who received a substantial head wound in World War II from shrapnel. He is now insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
, believing himself to be the archangel
Archangel
An archangel is an angel of high rank. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism and by most Christians. Michael is the only archangel specifically named in the Protestant Bible...
Gabriel
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
. Gabriel receives remuneration from the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, money which Troy takes and uses to build his house. Gabe is significant in the end when he tries to play his trumpet, fails, then dances thereby opening up the gates of heaven.
Lyons: Troy's first son who was not mothered by Rose. Troy always has the impression that Lyons only comes around for money.
Alberta: A never-seen woman Troy desires. He cheats on Rose with Alberta because it gets him away from his responsibilities. She dies giving birth to Raynell.
Raynell: Troy and Alberta's daughter. Rose accepts the duty of being Raynell's mother when Alberta dies in childbirth. Raynell is seen at the end of the play as a happy seven-year-old sowing her seeds prior to the funeral of Troy.
Plot
The focus of Wilson's attention in Fences is Troy, a fifty-three year-old head of household who struggles with providing for his family and with his obsession about cheating death. The location is never specified but seems to be Pittsburgh as there are several references to some of its notable institutions. Troy was a great baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player in his youth, during which time he learned to play in prison. But because the color barrier had not yet been broken in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, Troy was unable to make good money or to save for the future. He now lives a menial life along with his wife, Rose, his son Cory (who still lives in the house at the play's opening), and his younger brother Gabriel, an ex-soldier whose war injury occasionally causes him to act crazy. Lyons is Troy's son from a previous marriage, and lives outside the home. Bono is Troy's best friend. Troy had taken Gabriel's money to buy the house he currently lives in, since Gabriel never got a key to show his independence.
The play begins on payday, with Troy and Bono drinking and talking. Troy's character is revealed through his speech about how he went up to their boss, Mr. Rand, and asked why Black men are not allowed to drive garbage trucks (Troy works as a garbage man); Rose and Lyons join in the conversation. Lyons, a musician, has come to ask for money, confident that he will receive it from his father and promises to give him back because his girlfriend Bonnie just got a job. Troy gives his son a hard time, but eventually gives him the requested ten dollars after Rose persuades him to do so. An affair between Troy and a woman named Alberta (who is never seen in the play) is revealed, followed by the discovery that Alberta was pregnant, and died in childbirth. During the final act, Raynell, the daughter conceived in Troy's union with Alberta, is seen as a happy seven-year-old; Cory comes home from war, and after initially refusing to go to his father's funeral due to long-standing resentment, is convinced by his mother to pay his respects to his father—the man who, though hard-headed and often poor at demonstrating affection, nevertheless loved his son.
The fence referred to by the play's title is an unfinished fence in Troy's yard. It is not immediately known why Troy wants to build it, but a dramatic monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
in the second act shows how he conceptualizes it as an allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
—to keep the Grim Reaper away. Analogously, the fence is not completed within the course of Troy's actions; thus, he does not live to the play's conclusion. Rose also wanted to build the fence and forced her husband to start it as a means of securing what was her own, keeping what belonged inside in and what should stay outside stay out.
Productions
Fences premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on March 26, 1987 and closed on June 26, 1988 after 525 performances and 11 previews. Directed by Lloyd RichardsLloyd Richards
Lloyd George Richards was a Canadian-American theatre director, actor, and dean of the Yale School of Drama from 1979 to 1991, and Yale University professor emeritus.- Biography :...
, the cast featured James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
(Troy Maxson), Mary Alice
Mary Alice
Mary Alice is an American actress.Alice was born Mary Alice Smith in Indianola, Mississippi, the daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith. In 1987 she received a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in Fences...
(Rose), Ray Aranha
Ray Aranha
Ray Aranha was an American actor, playwright, and stage director.-Career:Born in Miami, Florida, Aranha appeared in and written numerous stage productions. In 1974, he won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Playwright for My Sister, My Sister...
(Jim Bono), Frankie R. Faison (Gabriel), and Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance
Courtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
(Cory).
The production won the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
s for Best Play
Tony Award for Best Play
The Tony Award for Best Play is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theatre, including musical theatre, honoring productions on Broadway in New York. It currently takes place in mid-June each year.There was no award in the Tony's first year...
, Best Actor
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play presented since 1947, is awarded to actors in productions of new or revival plays.-1940s:*1947 - José Ferrer – Cyrano de Bergerac / Fredric March – Years Ago...
(James Earl Jones), Best Featured Actress
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
This is a list of winners and nomination of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress. The award was first presented in 1947.-1940s:* 1947: Patricia Neal – Another Part of the Forest* 1949: Shirley Booth – Goodbye, My Fancy-1950s:...
(Mary Alice), and Best Direction
Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play
The Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play has been given since 1960. Before 1960 there was only one award for both play direction and musical direction, then in 1960 the award was split into two categories: Dramatic and Musical. In 1976 the Dramatic category was renamed to Play...
(Lloyd Richards), as well as the Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s for Outstanding New Play
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play
This is a list of winners of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play initially introduced in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre.-1950s:Vernon Rice Award for Best Production...
, Outstanding Actor in a Play
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were...
(Jones), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since...
(Alice). It also received Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actor in a Play (Faison and Vance).
The first Broadway revival of the play opened at the Cort Theatre
Cort Theatre
The Cort Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 138 West 48th Street in the Theatre District of midtown Manhattan in New York City...
on April 26, 2010 with a limited 13-week engagement. Directed by Kenny Leon
Kenny Leon
Kenny Leon is an African-American director notable for his work on Broadway and in regional theater. His success on Broadway has made him one of its foremost African-American directors....
, the production starred Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
(Troy Maxson) and Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
(Rose) as the married couple struggling with changing U.S. race relations. The revival was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning three for Best Revival of a Play
Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play
The Tony Award for Best Revival has only been awarded since 1994. Prior to that, plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival...
, Best Actor in a Play (Denzel Washington), and Best Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
(Viola Davis).
Awards and nominations
Awards- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding PlayDrama Desk Award for Outstanding PlayThis is a list of winners of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play initially introduced in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre.-1950s:Vernon Rice Award for Best Production...
(1987) - Pulitzer Prize for DramaPulitzer Prize for DramaThe Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
(1987) - Tony Award for Best PlayTony Award for Best PlayThe Tony Award for Best Play is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theatre, including musical theatre, honoring productions on Broadway in New York. It currently takes place in mid-June each year.There was no award in the Tony's first year...
(1987) - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a PlayDrama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a PlayThis is a list of winners of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play initially introduced in 1976 as the, Drama Desk for Award Outstanding Revival and included musical theatre as well as stage plays.-1980s:* 1982: Entertaining Mr...
(2010) - Tony Award for Best Revival of a PlayTony Award for Best Revival of a PlayThe Tony Award for Best Revival has only been awarded since 1994. Prior to that, plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival...
(2010)