"Fences" - by August Wilson - Majestic Theater (West Springfield, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: Martinez Napoleon as “Gabriel” in a scene from "FENCES" by August Wilson, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through April 6, 2025. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
“Some people build fences to keep people out...and other people build fences to keep people in."
- ("Bono") / August Wilson
The Majestic Theater
Presents August Wilson's
"FENCES"
TONY AWARD AND 1987 PULITZER PRIZE WINNING DRAMA!
Written by August Wilson
Directed by Michael Ofori
Producing Director Danny Eaton
Cast Includes: Dominic Carter* as “Troy,” Martinez Napoleon* as “Gabriel,” Greg Mitchell Alexander* as “Bono,” Kyle Boatwright as “Rose,” Silk Johnson as “Lyons,” Mike Daniel as “Cory,” Louise Coly/Malayah Charland as “Raynelle.”
Understudy: Rae Janeil ("Rose")
Additional Creative Team:
Associate Producing Director - Sue Dziura; Production Stage Manager/Sound Design - Stephen Petit*; Associate Production Manager - Aurora Ferraro; Stage Manager - Amari O’Connor*; Fight Choreographer - Sena Yacteen; Scenic Design - Calypso Michelet; Lighting Design - Daniel David Rist; Costume Design - Dawn McKay; Technical Director - Alan Schneider; Assistant Technical Director - Kevin Tracy; Wardrobe Mistress - Christine Thompson; COVID Compliance Officer - Carol Rucinski.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Performances:
February 27, 2025 through April 6, 2025
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
MAJESTIC THEATER, 131 Elm Street, West Springfield, MA 01089
TICKETS:
For tickets and more information, contact the MAJESTIC THEATER box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
Majestic Theater brings to West Springfield arguably one of the finest plays written during the 20th Century, "FENCES" from August Wilson.
As ably directed by Michael Ofori, "FENCES" is the sixth in Wilson’s 10-part "Pittsburgh Cycle" and won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play.
(Note: Some writers refer to these plays as the "Pittsburgh" plays while others the "Cycle" plays. For the purposes of this review, we'll refer to them as the "Pittsburgh" plays.)
Other entries from the “Pittsburgh” plays which have been reviewed by METRMag include (in no particular order): “Joe Turner's Come and Gone,” “The Piano Lesson,” “Seven Guitars” and “King Hedley II.”
Like all of Wilson’s "Pittsburgh" plays, "FENCES" explores the African American experience and examines race relations, among other themes.
The "Pittsburgh" plays are not strictly interconnected as like a serialized saga.
That said, some characters we encounter do “crossover” by appearing in other entries of the cycle - while children of characters from earlier entries appear in later plays.
"FENCES" is considered by many to be the most powerful entry in the "Pittsburgh" series and now has been impeccably staged by Ofori with a fine cast and as supported well by the entire Majestic Theater creative team.
"FENCES" was first developed in 1983 making its official stage debut two years later at the Yale Repertory Theatre with a cast led by the incomparable James Earl Jones in the role of “Troy.”
When the play transitioned to Broadway in 1987, retaining Jones as its lead, "FENCES" would go on to run for an impressive 525 performances and 11 previews.
The production ultimately received many accolades including Tony Awards for Best Play, Jones winning for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, Mary Alice winning for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and Lloyd Richards winning for Best Direction of a Play.
In 2010, a limited revival of "FENCES" starring Denzel Washington as “Troy” and Viola Davis as “Rose” was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning three for Best Revival of a Play, Washington for Best Actor in a Play and Davis for Best Actress in a Play.
Both Washington and Davis would reprise their award-winning roles in the 2016 film adaptation which was nominated for numerous awards, including four Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Washington), Best Supporting Actress (a win for Davis) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
(Photo: Dominic Carter as “Troy,” Greg Alexander as “Bono” and Mike Daniel as “Cory” in a scene from "FENCES" by August Wilson, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through April 6, 2025. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
"FENCES" takes place in 1950s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and concerns Troy (Dominic Carter), a 53-year-old African American rubbish worker who struggles at providing for his family.
In his youth, Troy excelled as a player in what was then referred to as the “Negro leagues” of baseball.
Before the color barrier got broken in Major League Baseball, though, Troy found himself unable to advance to the majors in order to make good money or to save for the future; and any hopes all ended when he was sent to prison for a murder he committed during a robbery.
Troy now lives and works in Pittsburgh with his wife, Rose (Kyle Boatwright but played at the February 27th performance by understudy Rae Janeil) and their teenage son, Cory (Mike Daniel).
However, now, years later, Troy still could break the race barrier by becoming the first Black truck driver in Pittsburgh instead of just a barrel lifter, on which he waxes philosophically about with his longtime friend and co-worker Bono (Greg Alexander).
Dominic Carter excels at showcasing both Troy’s psychological and emotional struggles trying to succeed at maintaining order in his life while failing at maintaining his own moral compass - an utterly compelling performance.
(Photo: Martinez Napoleon as “Gabriel” in a scene from "FENCES" by August Wilson, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through April 6, 2025. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
Troy’s younger brother, Gabriel, aka "Gabe" (Martinez Napoleon), is a World War II veteran who suffered a war injury to his head which has left him mentally struggling.
Gabe, who always carries a trumpet on his person, received $5,000 upon his discharge from service, and Troy took control of that money in order to purchase a home for his family with a room reserved just for Gabe.
Napoleon does a masterful job as Gabe, whose character believes he speaks directly with Saint Peter and keeping demons away - also serving as an allegory to salvation which, in the case of "FENCES," is the salvation Gabe fears Troy might never find in this world.
Troy battles his own demons throughout the play, manifesting themselves into the unseen form of “Death.”
The literal “fence” in "FENCES" is constructed over the course of several years and is intended to keep out Death.
The fence also becomes symbolic for the emotional “fence” that Troy has built between himself and his sons.
Troy's older son from a previous marriage, Lyons (Silk Johnson), lives outside the home.
Johnson is quite good as Lyons, a struggling musician, who only shows up at Troy’s doorstep on “payday” to borrow money.
Half-brother Cory, however, never asks for money or anything from Troy, completely fearful of his father and tries to avoid being in his very presence.
Troy, a harsh-hearted advocate of hard work, responsibility and “a day’s pay for a day’s work,” endlessly belittles both his sons because they seem to refuse to find real jobs (each for different reasons).
Daniel gives a thoughtful, sensitive portrayal of Cory, working toward an opportunity to better himself with a college football scholarship…an opportunity Troy proves to intentionally, wantonly and willingly obstruct.
This emotional conflict between Troy and Cory reaches its zenith but not before one of the finest exchanges ever written between a father and son in any American play.
As Bono, Alexander serves the character well, trying to be supportive of his best friend, Troy, but also willing to hold up a mirror to his friend’s face when he sees Troy’s moral compass begin to waiver.
(Photo: Greg Alexander as “Bono,” Dominic Carter as “Troy” and Silk Johnson as “Lyons” in a scene from "FENCES" by August Wilson, now playing at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA. through April 6, 2025. Photo Credit Kait Rankins)
As written by Wilson, Rose is the voice of reason in "FENCES" - a strong, resilient character, a mother trying to keep peace in the family, a woman supportive of everybody in spite of their faults and struggles, which certainly includes Troy's own shortcomings.
Janeil as Rose provided an admirable performance to convey the above but was “on book” for the second half of the show’s second act.
As a result, much of Rose’s most intense exchanges with others (especially over multiple revelations) completely lost their emotional impact.
Overall, the pacing of the show at the February 27th performance felt sluggish and there were some obvious line stumbles, however the absolutely brilliant performance by Carter helped elevate and maintain interest in the already compelling story.
Much later in the story we meet Troy’s daughter, Raynell (played alternately at performances by Louise Coly and Malayah Charland), but the character isn’t on long enough to provide much more than contextual ballast for the play’s conclusion.
For anyone familiar with the other entries of the “Pittsburgh” cycle, the marvelous set design for "FENCES" by Calypso Michelet is perfectly in keeping with those previous plays and utilizes the entire Majestic space well.
Costume design and overall ambience was all in keeping with the 1950s time period, as well.
Wilson was a masterful playwright with character-driven stories, and "FENCES" remains one of the finest American plays, showcasing the emergence of a family attempting to build and live within a home situated in the racially stratified 1950s suburban America.
"FENCES" continues in West Springfield at the Majestic Theater until April 6th and don't find yourself sitting on a "fence" as this play is definitely not one to miss.
Up next at the Majestic Theater will be the smash Broadway musical "WAITRESS" written by Jessie Nelson with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles which begins April 17th, 2025.
For tickets and more information, contact the Majestic Theater box office by phone at # 413-747-7797 or visit www.majestictheater.com
BUY TICKETS
Approximately three hours with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
TONY AWARD AND 1987 PULITZER PRIZE WINNING DRAMA!
Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "FENCES" focuses on Troy, a 53-year-old working class head of house who struggles with providing for his family.
He lives with his wife, Rose, and his teenage son, Cory.
In his younger days, Troy was an excellent baseball player and even played in the Negro Leagues, but that was before the color barrier in Major League Baseball had been broken.
"FENCES" explores the evolving challenge of a family attempting to build a safe home in the racially stratified 1950s suburban America!
ABOUT THE MAJESTIC THEATER
Locally-produced professional live theater since 1997. Before it was a live theater, local residents may remember THE MAJESTIC THEATER as a movie house. It has since been renovated and reimagined to bring live performances to the West Springfield area, giving local performance and technical artists the opportunity to thrive. Every season at THE MAJESTIC consists of five productions (including at least one musical) featuring local actors. In addition to the subscription season, the summer includes children's theater, concerts, plays, open mic nights, and improvisational comedy shows. Recently named the best place to see live theater in the Pioneer Valley in the Valley Advocate Readers' Poll, THE MAJESTIC THEATER continues to offer great theater thanks to the support and generosity of its 4200+ subscribers.
131 Elm Street
West Springfield, MA. 01089
# 413-747-7797
