The Majestic Theater celebrates playwright August Wilson with a 40th anniversary production of his Pulitzer and Tony Award winning play, “Fences.” “Fences” was developed in Connecticut, and had its world premiere at The Yale Repertory Theatre, with James Earl Jones, Mary Alice, and Courtney B. Vance co-starring. That production moved to Broadway for a well-received run. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis co-starred in the 2010 Broadway revival, which won the Tony for Best Revival.
“Fences” was the first of many August Wilson plays I’d experienced in live theatre. I’d finished Yale and a decade’s later stint in New Haven without seeing Wilson’s work (or having met him, while his works were premiering at Yale). So, my first encounter was on Broadway, when Denzel Washington and Viola Davis headlined the Broadway revival. The acting was exquisite, and the play was a powerful slice of life look at a different America than I’d known growing up. But, there’s many similarities, and I find Fences to be a classic, and a classic look at an America of 70 years ago.
