‘Fences’ at the Majestic; The Father’s Curse
‘Fences’ Grabs at the Emotional Toll of Fatherhood and Failure
The first sentence of dialogue in this, August Wilson’s Pulitzer prize winning masterpiece, jarred the audience. As would be the case throughout the play, the N word popped up fast and often. This play is a powerful statement about the effects of an inherently racist society that caused men like the play’s protagonist, Troy Maxson (Dominic Carter), to struggle and fail in American society. He’s the one holding the bottle of booze as he would do throughout the play.
The scene is set once again by the Majestic’s uber-talented set designers, led by Calypso Michelet. For this show, we had the complete back view of a tenement house. A big tree looked like it had been rooted for a century on the stage, and the chain link fence out back all blended to create a very realistic scene, the home of this hard-working family in 1950s Pittsburgh.
The two men we meet in the first scene, Jim Bono (Greg Mitchell Alexander) and Troy Maxson, set the tone; they remark about how unfair it was that the black men never got to drive the garbage truck. Throughout the play, we can feel the oppression that was the norm in the U.S. Both characters were likable, and both kept us engaged. Both actors got through all of that dialogue like champs. We learn that Troy once had ambitions to play pro baseball, but with the game’s segregation, it was far too long a shot.
Troy is a big drinker, but he’s also a proud, hard-working husband and father, and he is most proud of his wife, Rose. In the opener last night, this role was played by understudy Rae Janeil, who did a great job managing all of this dialogue instead of the familiar Kyle Boatwright, who will play the role in subsequent nights. Rose is a woman who has to put up with a lot, and it only gets worse when Troy’s bad decisions come home to roost.
The first act of the play lacked much conflict; it was mostly the banter between the men and an introduction to the whole family. Outgoing and confident first son Lyons Maxson (Silk Johnson) and high school athlete Cory Maxson (Mike Daniel). Bono got a laugh after Troy mentioned his wife’s attractive legs, and he replied ‘Legs don’t do nothin’, you just push them outta the way!”
His son Cory still has baseball ambitions but they are squashed by Troy, which creates an uproar. You can tell that the bitter father just can’t have his son outshining him that way.
Uncle Gabe (Martinez Napoleon), Troy’s younger brother who suffered a brain injury in the war was a victim of Troy’s treachery, as Troy stole his government money to buy this house, right here. Gabe tries to play a trumpet unsuccessfully without a mouthpiece and stumbles in at different times.
I think the play’s title has many meanings, and the actual fence in Pittsburgh isn’t finished until late in the play. Troy tries throughout the play to finish it, and it becomes an allegory, protecting him from death, but not for long.
But there are so many other fences, especially between young Cory and his father, Troy. He can’t catch a break from Pops; he describes him later as “this shadow that follows me throughout the house, I’m never away from it, and Troy is always staring back at me.”
Cory can’t bring himself to enter the house, he fears he might become Troy Maxson. But he has nothing to worry about since he’s now a successful Marine Sergeant. Brother Lyons, despite his slick funeral suit, isn’t doing as well as his younger brother, but is still borrowing money and waiting for his own big break.
Wilson wrote ‘Fences’ as the sixth play in a series of ten that all explored the issue of race relations and urban African-American life. It won him not only a Pulitzer but also a Tony Award for Best Play in 1987. James Earl Jones played Troy in the first Broadway production of Fences that won the most accolades.
‘Fences’, by August Wilson, at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield. Tickets are $35-$38 and can be purchased in person at the box office or by calling (413) 747-7797. Tickets