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Newnan Theatre constructing “Fences”

August Wilson’s multi-award winning play opens

Though it begins this week, Newnan Theatre Company is honoring Black History Month with their production of “Fences” by August Wilson.

The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the New York Drama Critics Award, the Outer Critics Award and the Tony Award for Best Play.

A slice-of-life in a black tenement set in the late 50s and early 60s, “Fences” tells the story of a proud, black man who doesn’t understand how to cope with the civil changes brought about in that era. The main character, Troy Maxson, is a garbage collector who has taken great pride in keeping his family together and providing for them. A former athlete who forbids his son to accept an athletic scholarship, Troy’s rebellion and frustration sets the tone for the play as he struggles for fairness in a society which seems to offer none.

Cast members include Newnan favorite Matthew Bailey Jr. as Troy Maxson and Newnan High School student Ashford Bolton as Troy’s younger son, Cory. Troy’s older son will be played by V.A. Slade of Union City. Kevin Pullen, a teacher at East Coweta High School, will play Jim Bono, Troy’s best friend; Skye Pullen (Kevin’s daughter) plays Raynell, Troy’s “love child.” The role of Gabriel, Troy’s crazy brother, will be played by another newcomer to the Newnan Theatre, Nasir Rahim. Sharan Mansfield appears as Rose, Troy’s wife.

Director Laurel Alford says, “It’s very exciting to bring so many talented and experienced actors to one stage. The script is so powerful.... and this cast is going to run away with it!”

Former New York Times' theatre critic, Frank Rich, in his review of “Fences,” wrote that the play "leaves no doubt that Mr. Wilson is a major writer, combining a poet's ear for vernacular with a robust sense of humor (political and sexual), a sure instinct for cracking dramatic incident and passionate commitment to a great subject."

Wilson has been hailed since the mid-1980s as an important talent in the American theatre. He spent his childhood in poverty in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he lived with his parents and five siblings.

Though he grew up in a poor family, Wilson felt that his parents withheld knowledge of even greater hardships they had endured. "My generation of blacks knew very little about the past of our parents," he told the New York Times in 1984.

"They shielded us from the indignities they suffered." Wilson's goal is to illuminate that shadowy past with a series of plays, each set in a different decade, that focus on black issues. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, and Seven Guitars are part of this ambitious project.

Wilson has noted that his real education began when he was 16 years old. Disgusted by the racist treatment he endured in the various schools he had attended until that time, he dropped out and began educating himself in the local library. Working at menial jobs, he also pursued a literary career and successfully submitted poems to black publications at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1968 he became active in the theatre by founding--despite lacking prior experience-- Black Horizons on the Hill, a theatre company in Pittsburgh. Recalling his early theatre involvement, Wilson described himself to the New York Times as "a cultural nationalist . . . trying to raise consciousness through theater."

“Fences” opens at the Newnan Theatre on Friday and runs through March 27. Friday and Saturday shows start at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:30pm.

“Fences” will be performed in the Black Box theatre and seating is limited. Reservations should be made early by calling 770-683-6282 or emailing nctc@numail.org. Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Visit www.newnantheatre.com for more information. “Fences” is an Artist Series production and is rated PG-13.