Category Archives: August Wilson

It wasn’t nothing to you but it was something to me. To have you just up and walk out like that. What you think happened to me? Did you ever stop to ask yourself, “I wonder how Vera doing–I wonder how she feel?” I lay here every night in an empty bed. In an empty… Continue reading →

From Fences, by August Wilson, Act One, Scene Three Troy: If they got a white fellow sitting on the bench … you can bet your last dollar he can’t play! The colored guy got to be twice as good before he get on the team. That’s why I don’t want you to get all tied… Continue reading →

One of the really fun parts of the job is working with our colleagues over at the New Haven Free Public Library to put together the reading list for our upcoming production. We talk to them a bit about the themes for each show – a subject they’ve already given a lot of consideration –… Continue reading →

                When Esau Pritchett and Portia talk about performing the words of August Wilson, they speak with a certain reverence and perhaps even awe. They marvel at the complexity of Wilson’s characters, the richness of his language, and emotional depths they have to plumb in order to bring… Continue reading →

Not only does August Wilson’s Fences deal with the difficult relationship between fathers and sons, and with the disappointment and struggles all people deal with, it also discusses fundamental issues of equality and decency. These questions were at the heart of the American discourse in the 1950s and 1960s, creating radical changes in society. The Civil… Continue reading →

It’s impossible to say with absolute certainty where the inspiration for a piece of art comes from. In the case of August Wilson’s powerful creation Troy Maxson, the central character in Fences, the inspirations are myriad and fascinating. Wilson’s family members, men he knew when he was growing up, plus his own fertile imagination all… Continue reading →

When Phylicia Rashad speaks, people listen. During a recent visit to Long Wharf Theatre to review set designs and tour the space, Rashad spoke with a group of staff members about the power of Fences, the classic play by August Wilson being staged in November on the Mainstage. She held the room rapt with that… Continue reading →

Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein characterized Tuesday as a historic day in Long Wharf Theatre’s history. For the first time, the theatre will produce the work of the master playwright August Wilson. The staff and creative team celebrated the first rehearsal of Fences, directed by Phylicia Rashad. Edelstein pointed out that Wilson had a fruitful relationship with… Continue reading →