ASHVILLE, TN (Thursday, February 16, 2023) – Nashville Repertory Theatre is proud to present August Wilson’s Fences. This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play will be on stage from Friday, March 3 through Sunday, March 5, 2023, followed by a week of school performances at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s James K. Polk Theater, 505 Deaderick Street. For ticket and showtime information, visit www.nashvillerep.org.
“August Wilson is truly one of the greatest American playwrights, and Fences is his masterpiece,” says Executive Director Drew Ogle. “After having to cancel our originally planned production due to the pandemic, we are so excited to finally be able to present this play, and we are even more excited to be partnering with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center to offer it to high school students in the region in addition to our usual audiences.”
August Wilson’s Fences explores the lives of a working-class Black family in the 1950s, taking audiences on a journey through the complexities of fatherhood, family, and race, offering a powerful look at one man’s struggle to come to terms with his past and find his place in a rapidly changing world.
At the center of the play is the character of Troy Maxson, a former baseball star who now works as a garbage collector. Despite his hard-won success and the love of his wife Rose, Troy is haunted by his own sense of failure and the injustices of a world that never fully recognized his talent. Through his relationships with his sons Cory and Lyons, his brother Gabriel, and his best friend Jim, Troy must confront the fences he has built around himself and his family and find a way to break down the barriers that stand between him and the life he desires.
Jon Royal, one of Nashville’s favorite directors, returns to the Rep stage to direct this modern American classic. “I want you to look at this play as an invitation for you to sit, and ‘linger’ with the Maxson clan until the lights come on,” says Royal. “Sit with them as they struggle to celebrate, commune, and walk the path of a family, trying to stay together. It’s no accident that this story begins with a Friday, after-work ritual. Laugh. Feel all of the feelings as we present to you the Maxon’s family ritual with Joy. “
Nashville Rep is proud to have Jon Royal return as the director for August Wilson’s Fences. With an impressive track record of directing notable productions such as Pipeline, Topdog/Underdog, and Smart People, Royal has become a well-respected member of the Nashville Rep family. Joining Royal to bring to the artistry and brilliance of August Wilson to life is Gary C. Hoff as Set Designer, Jarrod Barnes as Costume Designer, André Allen as Lighting Designer, Timothy Grace as Sound Designer, and Candace Lafayette as Assistant Director.
The talented cast of Fences brings these complex and powerful characters to life, with Clark Harris as Troy Maxson, Alicia Haymer as Rose Maxson, Cameron Mitchell as Cory Maxson, DéYonté Jenkins as Lyons Maxson, Bakari King as Gabriel Maxson, Kenny Dozier as Jim Bono, and Jordan Marie Elizabeth Nixon as Raynell Maxson. The production also features outstanding understudies Jermaine Pearson as Troy Maxson, Nina Hibbler Webster as Rose Maxson, and Jakholbi Murry as Cory Maxson.
August Wilson’s Fences is a timeless work of art, exploring universal themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning in a world that often seems unjust and unpredictable. This production offers audiences a chance to experience the power of Wilson’s writing and the depth of the human experience and is not to be missed.
Come see this powerful and moving play and experience the artistry and brilliance of August Wilson for yourself!
The remainder of Nashville Rep’s 22/23 season includes the stage adaption of the beloved New York Times Best Selling Novel The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time March 24 – April 2, 2023 and closing the season, is the intimate musical Violet May 12 -21, 2023. For Nashville Repertory 2022- 23 season tickets and showtime information, visit www.nashvillerep.org or www.tpac.org.
The Nashville Rep has been named Best Professional Theatre by the Nashville Scene, Best Local Theatre by The Tennessean, Largest Arts Organization by Nashville Business Journal, and recognized by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for 35 years of service to the community. The Rep’s shows, actors, directors, and designers have been honored by Nfocus, Nashville Scene, The Tennessean, and the First Night Awards.
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