Pittsburgh Playwrights' "Fences" hits sweet spot second time around

The second time around is a charm for Fences

By C. Denise Johnson

For the New Pittsburgh Courier

In the almost-decade since his mentor's untimely death, Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company founder Mark Clayton Southers could not have known that he would producing “Fences” a second time during the year of August Wilson's 70^th birthday.

That birthday was noted in Pittsburgh, Wilson's ground-zero. The past year ended with an assured immediate future for the August Wilson Center for African American Center. The year began with continuing outreach via the 2014-2015 August Wilson Educational Project; WQED's special screening of its locally-incubated and co-produced The Ground on Which I Stand documentary shown on PBS's American Masters (which including a panel featuring Phylicia Rashad!) in the AWC.

That was followed Pittsburgh debut of How I Learned What I Learned, a one-man theatrical memoir written by Wilson and the annual August Wilson Monologue Competition continued uninterrupted. With last month’s “August Wilson’s Women,” the Hill District Bard was celebrated in a composite ode to the women in Pittsburgh Cycle.

This second coming of “Fences” is anything but a repeat, and definitely serendipitous. Last time around Southers was the producer in nearly every sense of the word designing and building sets and the rest of the behind-the-scenes grunt work; this time the founder is also the director. The cast is all new except for one exception, Kevin Brown; instead of reprising Gabriel he now portrays Troy Maxson. Rounding out the stellar ensemble is Sandra Dowe, Wali Jamal, Nia Woodson, Broadway veteran Anthony Chisholm, Maurice Redwood and Carter Redwood.

Troy Maxson is a man who daily tries to salvage his dignity. Along with his best friend Bono (Wali Jamal), his indulges in his payday ritual; replaying the work week with more than a couple of tall tales enhanced by a shared brown paper bag of gin. Troy’s oldest son Lyons (Maurice Redwood), an aspiring musician, stops by and asked to borrow $10. After sweating the young man, his wife Rose (Sandy Dowe) intervenes, gives Lyon the money after Troy gives her his weekly earnings and reminds him to finish the fence he promised her.

While Troy rules his castle, we learn all is not right in his kingdom. Bono alerts Troy that he knows the affair about Alberta. Cory (Carter Redwood) has grown into his own and rebels against his father’s objection to his dream to accept a college football scholarship. His brother Gabriel (Anthony Chisholm), a wounded WWII veteran, is also spreading his wings and moved from Troy’s house to a place of his own. After a minor run-in with the police, Troy bails Gabriel out of jail; in three weeks a hearing will determine if Gabriel should be return to an asylum. He tells Rose about his affair, an argument erupted that caught Cory’s attention, arriving at the door just in time to see his father grab his mother. Cory grabs his dad from behind and the two fight. On top of Cory’s earlier defiance, Troy tells the youth he’s about to “strike out.”

    From left: Carter Redwood, Wali Jamal, Sandy Dowe, Kevin Brown (photo by Gail L. Manker).

At its heart, “Fences” is adapting to changes in life, society and family; and this is where the importance of casting appears. With the exception of Chisholm, all of the actors are local. They share a commitment to Wilson’s work and have all appeared on stage with one another in productions throughout the region. Carter Redwood grew up on Pittsburgh Playwright Theater’s stage; his brother is a Playwrights’ veteran on and offstage.

Brown is searing and heart wrenching as a prideful man whose life unravels with the passage of time. Dowd’s Rose is the glue that holds the family together – including the baby Troy bring home after its mother dies in childbirth. As Bono, Jamal is the sage that steadies Troy as his reckoning approaches. Maurice is effective as the slightly-estranged older son while Carter is a bundle is bursting maturity who "mans up" to the imposing Troy. Chisholm’s portrayal of Gabriel is fragile and haunting and newcomer Nia Woodson is adorably understated as an eight-year old Raynell.

 The set is the unsung star of the production as Fences is a presented on a revolving stage (kudos to Tony Ferrieri), and period pieces --check out the refrigerator-- and costuming (and make-up by Cheryl El Walker) add to the authenticity of the production.

“Fences” continues at Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company weekends through June 7 with 3 p.m. Sunday matinees. For prices or to purchase tickets log on to pittsburghplaywrights.com or 412-687-4686 for groups.

‘August in August’ serves up tasty morsels of theater

(This originally ran in the August 24, 2011 edition of the  New Pittsburgh Courier)
by C. Denise Johnson
For New Pittsburgh Courier
    Generally speaking in theater circles, revivals refer to new productions of long –
remembered and highly regarded works returning to the Great White Way. Liberty
Avenue may not be Broadway, but last weekend saw the much-anticipated return of
the “August in…” theater sampler to Pittsburgh’s Cultural District in the August Wilson
Center for African American Culture.
    Begun as a collaboration between the Cultural Trust’s Janice Burley Wilson and
Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Company founder Mark Clayton Southers, it experienced
growing pain and hiatuses while attracting Broadway luminaries James Earl Jones and
Charles Dutton in tribute to Pittsburgh’s Hill District griot.
    A near-capacity house was treated to performances from nationally respected
actors, Broadway veterans and some of the best talent from southwest Pa. in scenes from
ten plays comprising August Wilson’s “Century Cycle” that portray African American
life in each decade of the 1900s.
    To present “August in August” in the AWC in Wilson’s hometown was a full
circle moment reminiscent of the African sankofa bird that returns to where it began.
Metaphors aside, the symbolism was not lost on the audience as they were treated to soul
food in the words and wisdom dispensed through Wilson’s pen.
    The evening began with a taste of things to come in a very brief scene from “Gem
of the Ocean” of an uninvited visitor intent on conferring with Aunt Ester. The ensuing
scuffle disturbs Aunt Ester who queries the insistent intruder with “Didn’t he tell you to
come back Tuesday?”
    We do return, but this time we’re in recording studio awaiting the arrival of Ma
Rainey (Vanessa German). This scene from “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” features
Antonio Fargas (best known as “Huggy Bear” from the 1970 Starsky & Hutch cop
series); film, TV actor and Swissvale native David Conrad; and members of the August
Wilson Center Theatre Ensemble.
    In “Radio Golf,” Harmon Wilks receives a brilliant object lesson in
gamesmanship, race and reality from urban philosopher Sterling; followed by an excerpt
from “Jitney” where Youngblood comes clean to the mother of his child about his
suspicious behavior.
     “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” features Tony Award-winner Stephen McKinley
Henderson as Bynum sharing his perspective on women and “Two Trains Running”
highlights dialogue on current events (funerals, finance and real estate) steeped in
authenticity as served up by Anthony Chisholm, Sala Udin and Fargas to close out the
first half.
     The second act opened with a scene from “King Hedley” where Tonya and King
argue over whether or not she should keep the child she’s carrying. Powerful
performances from AWCTE member Joshua Elijah Reese and August Wilson
Monologue winner Emily Kolb (an incoming college freshman) captivated the audience,
as did its follow up, a scene between Chrystal Bates and Kevin Brown from “The Piano
Lesson.” Both excerpts highlight the struggle of the sexes for balance with their world
and each other.
    The “dance” between Hedley (Fargas) and Bernice (Andrea Frye) in “Seven
Guitars” sheds a different light on the male-female battle of wills (call this one a draw).
    Family conflict is the centerpiece of the “Fences” excerpt that has McKinley reprising his
Broadway role of Bono and Udin as Troy (the Broadway role played by Denzel
Washington). It’s hard to imagine Washington measuring up to the emotional stakes
ratcheted up by Udin in the confrontation with son Corey (played by Carter Redwood) in
the climatic scene.
    A collective exhale of the built of tension is released with the evening’s closing
scene from “Ma Rainey” with a hilarious, scene-stealing turn by Michaelangelo Turner.
    It truly took a village to put on “August in August” and, as attested by Wilson’s
widow Constanza who was in attendance closing night, would have met his approval
with it’s multigenerational participation onstage and backstage with crew, costumers
(Cheryl El-Walker, Kennedy Guess, Grace Hines, Deryck Tines) and actors. Three high
school monologue winners (Kolb, Devaughn Robinson and Heaven Bobo) held their own
along side theatre and Broadway vets.
     The ensemble spirit was shared among the directors (including JaSonte Roberts
Dean, Tami Dixon, Kim El, Frye, Henderson, Joseph Martinez, Redwood and Southers)
and cast (Jeffrey Carpenter, Jason Shavers, Mark Conway Thompson and Bria Walker).
    Special kudos go to composer Kathryn Bostic who brought her Broadway Wilson
sensibilities to bear on providing the music to providing the comfortable and familiar
soundtrack to underscore the product.
    'August in August' is a fitting conclusion to a season of transition at the AWC and
an appropriate first finale for Southers’ tenure as Artist Director of Theater Initiatives of
the namesake facility of his mentor.