Week 3: Fences (1984) Synopsis: In 1957, Troy Maxson, a former Negro Baseball League player, is a bitter man in his 50s who works as a garbageman. His frustration and disappointments in life affect his wife Rose and son Cory.
– Freytag’s Pyramid Dramatic Structure article: https://jerichowriters.com/what-is-freytags-pyramid/
https://www.clearvoice.com/blog/what-is-freytags-pyramid-dramatic-structure/
A mapping of Fences using Freytag pyramid analysis: https://augustwilsonstudygroup.wordpress.com/2021/03/16/a-mapping-of-fences-using-freytags-pyramid/
– Article on Negro Baseball leagues. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/sports/baseball/mlb-negro-leagues.html
https://www.mlb.com/news/negro-leagues-given-major-league-status-for-baseball-records-stats
– America’s Most Undefeated Playwright: https://theundefeated.com/features/august-wilson-is-americas-most-undefeated-playwright/
– YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Lvs-e_eIXYPmItHweBOyfAwDJ-x1qwO
– Fences: https://eguria.blogspot.com/2021/10/fences-by-august-wilson.html?spref=tw
– Full play pdf: https://augustwilsonstudygroup.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/fences1.pdf
– Court Theater study guide post performance questions, p. 17 (provided)
_ Kennedy Center Guide: https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/theater/august-wilson–fences/
Session #8
Fences was not written by an amateur, then stored away, then revisited several years later and expanded and reworked to be the Cycle opener like Jitney. Nor was it written in two pieces and later consolidated while still bifurcated to produce one play like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. No. Though very rigorously reworked and work-shopped in the drafting stage and in rehearsals, Fences was a baby born whole, much like the portrayal in its artistic inspiration, Romare Bearden’s painting/collage, Continuities.
Very much a family play, Fences was August Wilson’s greatest commercial success, on the stage and also, to date, on the screen. The original 1987 stage production played for a record-breaking 525 performances and won four Tony Awards (best play, best actor best actress, and best direction), three Drama desk Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. The 2010 Broadway revival earned three Tony awards (best revival, best, actor, best actress) and three Drama Desk Awards. It grossed over $12.9 million.
Of the multiple improvements in both plot development and character development made during rehearsals enroute to Broadway in the original 1987 stage production, one stands out and qualifies as an interesting back story. At the end of Act 2 Scene 4 when Cory and Troy have the “showdown” that resulted in Cory leaving home for good, the final polished version has Cory swinging a baseball bat twice at Troy and Troy taking the bat from Cory and expelling him from the “garden.” In an earlier version, after Cory swings the bat twice, Troy pulls out a pistol and cocks the hammer back in a threatening motion, promising to kill Cory for his misdeeds. But an interesting thing occurred while the play was in rehearsal. About the same tie, in real life, Marvin Gaye (the Motown singer) was shot and killed by his father. The news of the death of the famed entertainer went viral. Cooler heads prevailed and the gun scene was taken out of the play.
I won’t repeat here points I proposed previously for discussion as they are laid out below in various session notes. I did observe in this reading a marked difference i spirituality between Troy and Rose. Troy believes in a rivalry, and almost equality between God and Satan and in fact, in some spheres, Satan may almost reign supreme. For example, in all of Troy’s descriptions about his own death or even his struggles to escape or to avoid death, it seems that evil forces must win in the final analysis. There is no hope for redemption, it is just a matter of time.
But we see in Rose a developing religiosity, especially after Troy’s adultery and Rose’s decision to rise Raynell as her own daughter when Alberta dies in childbirth. And it seems the big loser in the calculation is Troy. We see Rose more involved in church activities after Troy’s misdeed, while before there was not even mention of church bake sales or services. Even Bono seems more involved in church after chilling on his relationship as Troy’s drinking buddy and his obvious disdain to Troy’s “carrying on” with Alberta.
Finally, I’ve seen evidence in this reading that, contrary to Troy’s pontifications about responsibilities to home and the family, not only do his actions not support such a belief, but nor do the actions of either of his sons, Cory or Lyons. Cory tells a big old fib about his job at A&P in order to sneak off and play football. Then he refuses to give his father the least respect he is due, saying “excuse me” when passing him on the porch steps. Lyons goes from hitting his father up for spending change on his father’s payday, instead of working for his own money at 34, to forging other people’s checks. Lyons ends up incarcerated and striped of any income earning potential, following in his dad’s footsteps.
Consolidated notes from prior sessions.
August Wilson's American Century Cycle 