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Overview

Synopsis

The sixth Play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, Fences takes place in 1957 in what is assumed to be Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The play follows Troy Maxson, a 53-year-old man who struggles to provide for his wife and son in a time when slavery is over but the civil rights movement has still not come to fruition. Troy used to be an amazing baseball player, but was not able to make it to the Major Leagues due to the color of his skin. Troy has had to settle into the life of being a trash collector and barely scraping by, and this causes a lot of turmoil and frustration, especially in his relationships. Wilson’s play deals with dreams deferred and what it means to be a man, as well as covering themes of family and loyalty. Most notably, we see a marriage that looks loving and successful at the outset begin to fall apart as Troy’s lack of self-respect starts to crumble everything around him.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1985
Genres
Drama, Comedy
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
pittsburgh, pennsylvania, 1957
Cast Size
small
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Late Teen, Child Characters, Small Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Troy Maxson

Lead

Male

Spoken

Rose

Lead

Female

Spoken

Cory

Lead

Male

Spoken

Jim Bono

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Gabriel

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Lyons

Featured

Male

Spoken

Raynell

Featured

Female

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    The belief that equality and opportunity is available to any American.

    Dated 1965-1975, a political and artistic movement dedicated to affirming pride and respect in Black history and culture.

    Baseball organization founded in 1920 specifically for African-American (and some Latino) players. It was dissolved in the 1950s after integration in baseball.

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Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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