Theater Review: Fences at Everyman Theatre - Entrepreneur Generations

If any play is critique-proof for me, it's August Wilson's Fences. 

In my 15-year career, it's my most-taught piece of literature, as we teach it every year to our 9th graders. In that time, I've realized the play to be a masterful piece of literature, with complex, morally ambiguous characters and language that has the rhythm and cadence of both iambic pentameter and the blues. The play and its focus on Negro League baseball has inspired me to write about it (I'm still pretty proud of this essay I wrote last year), and last year I was honored to speak at a conference about the teaching of August Wilson and William Shakespeare.

Like a great song or a poem, the play reaches into my heart with ease. As I watch, I tend to mouth along with some of the words and nod along to all those great baseball allusions as I feel the pain of the characters and witness the classic tragic hero cycle unfold through the character of Troy. And I think about all my history with the play, teaching it to so many great kids over the years. In my career, I've had so many great Troy Maxsons in my classroom, like the kid "Richard" who, in 2005 or so, had so many troubles with his home situation and the streets, but came in and played Troy like he was ready to win a Tony. Or "Kiesha," a who looked and acted like Snoop from The Wire and transformed Troy Maxson into a tough-talking lesbian. 

So many Troy Maxsons and so many Rose Maxsons over so many years of teaching. That, and an amazing production at Vagabond Players in Fells Point about ten years ago, plus several clips of Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, and James Earl Jones playing the roles on Broadway, which I use and watch every year teaching.

I was so excited to hear that Everyman Theater was producing Fences this year, but it definitely had a lot of competition in my mind.

And sometimes, the Everyman production lived up to my expectations.

Those times usually occurred when Bryant Bentley was on the stage. Bentley played Gabriel, the "wise fool" of Wilson's play, and delivered an amazing performance, using a scratchy and high-pitched voice to convey the character's turmoil and wisdom.

Alan Bomar Jones gets to play the classic character of Troy Maxson, and he commands the stage. He is charismatic and funny, but there were a few times when I felt like his timing was off. The dramatic climax of the play -- Act 2, scene 4 -- should show the character at his lowest point, but the speed of the scene just doesn't let us wring enough of the drama out of those moment. That being said, I liked the musicality of Jones's performance, and his rendering of Troy's stories in the first scene is especially strong; in lesser hands, they could easily feel long-winded (believe me, I've heard my share of going-on-forever furniture salesman devil stories).

Another disappointment was Act 2, Scene 1. Just after the intermission, the character of Rose learns a secret that should devastate her. Instead, as portrayed by Joy Jones, the iconic "I've been standing with you" speech is delivered a little too rehearsed, a little too measured. Perhaps I'm too swayed by Viola Davis's naturalistic, screaming, anguish-filled performance, but I wanted more; I felt like the monologue and the scene in general was too reigned in.

There's a weird moment in 1.2 in which Rose criticizes Troy for using the "n word," and I had to re-read the script to see if it's there. There is language there that supports what was done (a shift from "n-word" to "negro"), perhaps, but I want to double-check when I watch it again. In any case, I found it a bit distracting. I wonder if that's what August Wilson intended?

Brayden Simpson of Baltimore School of the Arts played Cory, and I thought pretty well, though I wish they'd get a baseball coach in there to teach him how to swing a bat in those moments at the tree. But he brought forcefulness to his scenes with Troy, and his last scenes with Raynell and his mom are appropriately moving.

I was nearly sobbing by the end of the play. And that's why I saw this is worth seeing, even if I thought that the production was uneven. I saw the play on Opening Night, and there were a number of times when lines were flubbed or timing felt off. I bet they improve their chemistry, and I'm pretty sure my students are going to have a great time with it when they get to see it in a couple of weeks.

Director Clinton Turner Davis has a long history with the play, including being the Stage Manager for the original Broadway production. I can't wait to read some interviews with him about his vision for this particular production.

Fences runs at Everyman Theatre until Nov. 22. 

from Epiphany in Baltimore http://ift.tt/1k3QLNl Theater Review: Fences at Everyman Theatre - Entrepreneur Generations

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