August Wilson's "Fences" to be staged at the McCarter Theater Center in Princeton

"Fences," a play by reknown playwrite, actor and director August Wilson, will be staged at the McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, New Jersey, from January 10 to February 9.  This is what the director of the play, Phylicia Rashad, told "Gem of the Ocean" in 2007:

“There is much to be said about August Wilson. In him we find the rare combination of poet, playwright, philosopher, historian, humanitarian, musician and spiritual seeker. My first observation of August Wilson was that he was a man of purpose, specificity and deliberation. When we listen as carefully as he did, we discern meaning in every aspect of his work. He understood the power of sound and rhythm inherent in words, speech and music. He worked in alignment with that power. As an actor, I became increasingly sensitive to these rhythms and aware of their importance. August’s characters are defined by speech – the rhythms of speech serve as emotional building blocks that support the progressive movement of the play. If a word is changed or a phrase interpolated, the rhythms are altered but never to the good.”

Producer Emily Mann has this to say about the show:

"Fences is not only one of my favorite August Wilson plays, but one of my favorite—and I think one of the finest—plays in the American theater canon. A father-son play as relevant today as when it was written in 1987, it is a story about generations, legacy, and survival. Originally a poet and a great lover of the blues, August had a tremendous gift for creating character and composing dialogue. Whether this is your first time attending an August Wilson play or one of many, I am confident that it will be an experience you will not soon forget.
For all of these reasons, I am thrilled to be producing Fences at McCarter. This particular production has been especially rewarding because it involves some of my dearest friends and colleagues. It is not only a co-production with the esteemed Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, but it marks the return of many members of McCarter’s artistic family.
Phylicia Rashad made an indelible mark on this organization and our community during her performance as Aunt Ester in Gem of the Ocean in 2004. To have Phylicia, who knows and understands August’s work so well, in the director’s chair for Fences is an extraordinary event. I hope you will consider joining us for a conversation between Phylicia Rashad and special guest moderator Melissa Harris-Perry on January 19.
To collaborate with her on the physical production of Fences, Phylicia has assembled a dream team of designers that includes a number of McCarter alums. Before he became an Emmy award-winning production designer, John Iacovelli was a scenic artist and painter in our scene shop. John Gromada, the sound designer, has worked on several McCarter productions, including Fiction and Humpty Dumpty. Also returning is ESOSA, who began his professional theater career as a costume designer on McCarter’s 2002 production of Crowns. He has since experienced a range of well-deserved successes, from a Tony nomination for his work on Broadway’s The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess to his accomplishments on Project Runway.
I hope you enjoy this performance of Fences. As with any of our Theater Series productions, I welcome your thoughts and impressions, which you can send me at emann@mccarter.org."