The Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance will present August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Fences, opening October 2, 2015. Performances will be in Westhoff Theatre through October 10.
Set in 1957 on the cusp of the Civil Rights Movement, Fences tells the story of Troy Maxson, a former athlete of the Negro National League. Maxson is consumed with the injustice that barred him from a career in baseball, being too old when the Major League was finally integrated in 1946. While fighting for equality in the workplace and struggling to support his family, Maxson’s bitterness threatens to tear apart his family.
Fences was the third play written by Wilson in his “Pittsburgh Cycle,” a series of plays written to depict African-American life in each decade of the 20th century. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize for playwright Wilson, the 1987 Broadway performance nearly swept the Tonys that year, winning for Best Play, Direction of a Play (Lloyd Richards), Leading Actor in a Play (James Earl Jones), and Featured Actress in a Play (Mary Alice).
Fences will be presented October 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 with performances at 7:30 p.m. There will also be a matinee performance on October 4 at 2 p.m. Westhoff Theatre is at the corner of School and Beaufort streets in Normal.
For tickets or information, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office, located in the Center for the Performing Arts, open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at (309) 438-2535, or purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Performance parking is available for free in the School Street Parking Deck, 400 W. Beaufort St., Normal.
