August Wilson’s play “Fences” tells the story of Troy Maxson, a hard-hearted former Negro Leagues star who struggles with the responsibilities of being a husband and a father. The show, set in the 1950s and ‘60s, is old from a generational standpoint but reaches deep into racial issues that are still sensitive today.
Director Clyde Ruffin was challenged with the task of bringing this play to life at MU and, at the same time, maintaining the integrity of its many mature, battle-worn characters. For this reason, Ruffin has combined campus and community by pairing student actors with more experienced ones from around Columbia.
“The opportunity to do (Wilson’s) work is incredible, but because his work requires mature African-American men, it’s difficult,” Ruffin said.
The inclusion of outside actors has proved to be beneficial for senior Bryan Like, who plays Lyons, a suave musician and Troy’s son.
“I think it’s working out great,” Like said. “I’ve gotten a lot of tips from many of the actors, especially from Eric Wilson, who plays Jim Bono, who’s helped me out with my character greatly.”
Wilson, a Columbia resident, said his respect for “Fences” lies in its foundational pride for African-American culture.
“The history of theater, especially when it came to African Americans was, ‘How do we prove that we’re valuable, and that we’re valid, and that we’re just as good or we have as much nobility as anybody else?’” Wilson said. “This play, it ain’t like that. It’s like, ‘This is who we are. Take us (or) leave us.’”
MU’s production of “Fences” comes at a racially charged time. With the recent vandalizing of Hatch Hall, the topic of race has become a delicate issue on campus.
“You have to kind of wait until the timing is right, and the timing was just right,” Ruffin said.“Fences” appeals to more than just the African American community, though. Its overarching themes reach deeper than cultural schisms.
“One of the reasons this play has been on Broadway three times and it’s done all over the world is because it appeals intergenerationally,” Ruffin said. “It works cross-culturally, so it really has the potential to appeal to anyone who has ever been a part of a family.”
No theatrical production comes without its share of problems, though. Assistant Stage Manager Caitlin Reader said that the recent snowstorms cost the cast and crew a week of building and rehearsal, turning preparations into a hectic rush during tech week.
In addition, Ruffin said that a specific rhythm used in August Wilson’s script known as “Wilson Iambic” means the actors’ words must be spoken precisely as they were written.
Eric Wilson, though, is pleased with the way the cast has come together for “Fences.”
“In a way, this is a microcosm of how we hope the world would be,” Eric Wilson said. “A group of young people, old people, some people from the college, some people from the community. But if you have a shared focus, man, it’s easy.”