Review: FENCES at The Ensemble Theatre, a Barricade of Emotion

It was circa 1993 when I was introduced to the brilliance of August Wilson by my high school theatre teacher Rodney Sheffield. I remember reading the play in one day, and from then on I was infatuated with Wilson's writing style and dynamic characters. Being a black kid in the theatre, there wasn't much for me to identify with, so Wilson quickly became a theatre icon in my eyes. Fast forward to 2000 and I got to play Cory in my last year of undergrad. My thesis was on the parallels of Wilson's FENCES and Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Here we are 16 years later and this play has crept up on my radar yet again! I had the pleasure of seeing The Ensemble Theatre's production of FENCES during the month of February and it was a great way to start my celebration of Black History Month.

There's no doubt that FENCES is one of the greatest literary works of our time. When matched with a historic theatre producing company, a competent artistic staff and actors who engulf themselves in the text, nothing but theatre magic follows. I had the pleasure of witnessing this magic twice. Set in 1957 Chicago, FENCES takes place on the Maxson family's front stoop. Troy Maxson (Alex Morris) is the protagonist of the story and the family's patriarch, trying to make ends meet as a sanitation worker. He once dreamed of playing in the big leagues, but faced with prison time and a newborn son, his life and dreams were put on hold. His second wife Rose (Detria Ward) believes in her wifely duties, like taking care of the house and raising their children. She is his backbone and his helpmate until Troy's exploits sacrifice the sanctity of their marriage. Bono (James West), Troy's longtime friend, is the definition of loyalty. He sees the good in Troy when everyone else sees the bad. Cory (Gabriel Monroe), Troy's teenage son is bright- eyed and eager to follow in his father's footsteps in the sports arena, but his coy and abashed disposition soon changes to hatred and rage towards his father. Troy's brother Gabriel (Jason E. Carmichael) is a cornerstone in this production. Even though on paper he's a supporting cast member, his backstory and brain injury from the war tugs at the heartstrings of the audience. And then there's Lyons, Troy's oldest son from his first marriage who comes off as a freeloading, highfalutin musician with unresolved issues with his father.

If you are looking for a great story that peels away the superficial skin of life, then Wilson's FENCES is a must-see production. As to the performances in this production, I have to admit, I was on the "fence" with a few moments in this show. But after marinating on my thoughts and listening to the actors talk about their experience during the production process, I was comfortable with the choices made artistically. The Ensemble's Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris is noted as being the only female in the country who's directed eight of the ten plays from Wilson's Century Cycle; that itself is a Black History moment! Morris expertly honed in on the crux of Wilson's composition - Troy battles himself, his family, and the racially divided world he lives in. This becomes the nucleus of the rising action in FENCES. Alex Morris took this character by the horns and wrestled with the inner struggle that plagues Troy. There wasn't one moment where I didn't believe his performance. This is experience, textual understanding and truthful acting at its best. Detria Ward's Rose is multifaceted and played with delicate astuteness. The humor played by Ward was calculated and not overdone. From her physical connection to the rhythm of speech in the dialect Wilson uses was finessed with ease; proper acting was achieved. James West delicately handles Bono with warmth. His artistic interpretation was smooth and effortlessly executed. Lyons, played by Kendrick "KayB" Brown, entered the stage smoothly and slithered his way into our hearts with his sly beatnik coolness. Gabriel Monroe's Cory grew on me. During the opening night performance, he was stale and manufactured. His connection with Troy appeared pedestrian. The relationship was a bit disjointed and void of fear, but when I saw his performance the second time I was thoroughly pleased with his use of pause, and his connection to his overbearing father. I had the opportunity to see Nia Johnson and Jannah Bryant who shared the role of Raynelle; both young ladies brought a beautiful innocence to the role. I have to admit; anytime I see committed young artists on the stage my heartstrings are pulled. In my opinion, the standout performance of the evening was that of Jason E. Carmichael who played Gabriel. Carmichael's physical connection and eye focus were prepensely executed. Even though the audience found him comical at times, I completely understood this keen commitment to the character's psychosis. I've seen this role played on many levels, from community theatre to Broadway, and this was by far the best interpretation of Gabriel I've seen on the American stage! There were moments I felt as if I was watching a male version of Crazy Eyes from ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. Wilson writes characters who take the audience on an emotional ride and watching this cast, led by Morris and Ward tackling two of the most difficult characters in American drama, was the highlight of my night.

Now, as you know I like to give it to my readers straight with no chaser! There were a few technical things that stood out in this show. I was distracted by the melodramatic use of underscoring, but this was soon overridden by the great acting. I feel that Wilson's words are so powerfully charged, there is no need for theatrical devices to aid in the emotion. FENCES moves through time quickly and the scene changes were a bit slow, but this is just two cents, spend them how you may. James V. Thomas' set design was beautifully accurate and quaint. The other technical elements accommodated and moved the plot forward. Overall, brava to the designers and technicians on this production.

It takes a holistic artistic approach to produce a great piece of theatre. FENCES is a play that has had commercial success and touches the masses. The themes and characters in FENCES parallel those in DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Willie Loman and Troy Maxson both battle a society with race in the workforce and both characters' demise center around their relationships with their sons. Cory and Biff want to play football, but their fathers become their obstacle. Rose and Linda both have unfaithful husbands and try to be supportive in spite of their shortcomings. Even though both plays are written from different cultural perspectives, the central themes and motifs are similar. Even in 2016 a play like FENCES is socially relevant. In the late 1950's the black power movement was at its starting point. Having a strong sense of black pride was frowned upon especially in the workplace. Troy's struggle to become the first black trash truck driver was a major racial obstacle for the character. During this time in history if blacks wanted to be successful or advance they had to denounce their culture and conform to a vernacular that was subservient to their white colleagues and counterparts. Blacks were appropriating into white culture and eradicating their blackness. -- making it a bad thing to stand in your truth and embrace you black culture. This is proof positive after we look at the backlash received by Houston's own Beyonce in the release of her new single "Formation" and her powerful Super Bowl performance, both of which embraced blackness. It is in pieces like FENCES and Beyonce's "Formation" that forces everyone to hold up the mirror to nature and at this time we can gauge the racial cognition of America.

I had a hard time approaching this review because I didn't want to give details of the story away. I highly urge you to take the time and go down to The Ensemble and witness the literary prowess of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize / Tony Award winning play FENCES now until February 28th. I had the pleasure of taking my students from La Marque High School to this show and their lives were changed dramatically. Support your local theatre and introduce someone to the power of a live performance. The Ensemble's production of FENCES serves up a healthy dose of comedy and gut-wrenching drama. This is definitely a great way to celebrate Black History Month in H-town!

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