Dr. Vicki and I would like to take this time to welcome you all to a special production of August Wilson's Fences. This talented cast is comprised of seasoned actors and new actors making their debut.
Fences is a 1985 play by American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson’s ten-part "Pittsburgh Cycle". Like all of the "Pittsburgh" plays, Fences explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes. The play won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play. Fences was first developed at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s 1983 National Playwrights Conference and premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1985.
The focus of Wilson’s attention in Fences is Troy, a 53-year old working-class head of household who struggles with providing for his family. The play takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In his younger days, Troy was an excellent player in the Negro League Baseball and continued practicing baseball while serving time in prison for a murder he had committed during a robbery. Because the color barrier had not yet been broken in the Major League Baseball, Troy was unable to get in the MLB to make good money or to save for the future. He now lives a menial, though respectable blue-collar life of a trash collector. Later in the play, he remarkably crosses the race barrier and becomes the first Black truck driver in Pittsburgh.
Our cast has been rehearsing since the first read on July 14, 2022. They have been working extremely hard, having fun and owning their roles. We are proud of the work they have put in to bring you Fences. We are exceptionally proud of the cast.
Please be sure to go to our website at https://opct.info to see any of our upcoming shows and auditions we will be having during the season. Please look out for our youth and teen workshops as well. We have so much to offer here at Orange Park Community Theatre and we look forward to growing our theatre.
Greg Barnes
Dr. Vicki Lowe
