August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama comes to Greensboro April 10 – May 1, 2016
"(Greensboro, NC) — Triad Stage brings to life August Wilson’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning play about dreams, disappointments, and the ties that bind us to family and community. Troy Maxson is a former Negro League homerun king forced into retirement before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1946. It’s now a decade later, and he struggles as a Pittsburgh garbage man – barely making ends meet. His youngest son, Cory, is a promising high school football star who bears the brunt of the devils that only Troy can see. Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, August Wilson’s Fences explores the evolving African-American experience on the brink of the Civil Rights Movement. Fences runs April 10 – May 1, 2016. Opening Night is Friday, April 15, which is also Major League Baseball’s annual Jackie Robinson Day. Fences is presented by VF Corporation.
About the production
“Fences, set in 1957 Pittsburgh, displays intergenerational conflicts, yet also embraces themes of family, community, socioeconomics, social justice, Christianity, Africanism, and the oral tradition of storytelling,” says Tamera Izlar, Triad Stage Artistic Associate and director of the production. “Using authentic voices from the Black Diaspora, the story unapologetically brings value to the stories of African descendants whose culture, vibrant journeys, and value systems had been deemed insignificant. An American classic, Fences is a vehicle that unifies human struggles while bringing relevance to the experiences of Black Americans. It is a play that ignites conversation, reflection, and a greater investigation of the 100-year timespan it covers.”
The creative team includes: director Tamera Izlar, music director Cassandra Williams, scenic designer Natalie Taylor Hart, costume designer Samantha C. Jones, lighting designer Miriam Crowe, sound designer Gabriel Clausen, and choreographer Robin Gee. The dramaturg is Bryan Conger, Christine Morris is the vocal coach, Jim Wren is the fight choreographer, Cindi Rush is the casting director, and the stage manager is Emily J. Mails.
The Cast
The Cast
The cast of six are all making their Triad Stage debuts. North Carolina native Jeorge Bennett Watson will play “Troy Maxson,” Gayle Samuels will play “Rose,” Cortez Nance Jr. will play “Jim Bono,” Greg Marlow will play “Lyons,” Lawrence Evans will play “Gabriel,” and Shamsuddin Abdul-Hamid will play “Cory.” Local child actor Chanelle Russell will appear as “Raynell.”
More information on the production can be found online at www.triadstage.org.
Performance and special event information
All performances are at Triad Stage at The Pyrle Theater, located at 232 South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina (between Market and Washington Streets).
Show times for Fences are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. There are no matinee performances during previews.
Opening Night, sponsored by Cone Health, is Friday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can performances are Tuesday, April 19, and Wednesday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. Wine Tasting Friday, sponsored by Bernard Robinson and Company, is Friday, April 22, prior to the evening’s 8:00 p.m. performance.
Technically Talking, a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the design team is Tuesday, April 12, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. preview performance.
The InSight Series, the free humanities program sponsored by Pennybyrn at Maryfield, with a noted expert who will be discussing the world of the play will be held on Sunday, April 17, immediately following the 2:00 p.m. matinee performance. The InSight speaker is Dr. Sandra Shannon, full professor at Howard University and one of the nation's leading scholars on the life and works of playwright August Wilson.
PostScript, a lively, open discussion with the cast, will be held on Thursday, April 21, immediately following the 7:30 p.m. performance. The PostScript series is sponsored by Clifford Clendenin & O’Hale, LLP.
About Triad Stage
Triad Stage is a professional not-for-profit regional theater company based in Greensboro’s downtown historic district. All Triad Stage productions are created in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina using the best of local and national talent. Triad Stage gratefully acknowledges the support of its Season Sponsors: Blue Zoom, the North Carolina Arts Council, ArtsGreensboro and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Fences is presented with support from VF Corporation.
Triad Stage’s 15th Anniversary Season comes to a close with Don Juan, a sinful comedy by Moliére (June 5 – 26, 2016). Tickets are now available.
All Triad Stage productions feature the bold acting and breathtaking design that have been nationally recognized by The Wall Street Journal and by the American Theatre Wing, founder of the Tony Awards®, which named Triad Stage one of the top ten most promising theatres in the country as a recipient of the 2010 National Theatre Company Grant. Triad Stage has also earned accolades including “Best North Carolina Production of 2010” for The Glass Menagerie by Triangle Arts & Entertainment magazine; “One of the Best Regional Theatres in America”, New York’s Drama League; “Best Live Theater” (nine years running), Go Triad/News & Record and The Rhinoceros Times; and “Professional Theater of the Year” (2003, 2011), North Carolina Theatre Conference.
To purchase tickets or for performance information on Fences, call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336.272.0160 or toll-free at 866.579.TIXX (8499), or visit www.triadstage.org."
- A Press Release
