fences

by August Wilson

October 11 -- 29, 2006

The cast of Fences (clockwise and left to right)

includes Raymone Scott, Carlos Rush, Layne Farr,

Jasmine Morris, and J.C. Patterson.

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Directed by Terrence Spivey

Terrence Spivey is the artistic director for Karamu House's Performing Arts Theatre Center in Cleveland. He directed the midwest premiere of Thomas Gibbons' Bee-luther-hatchee to rave reviews during Karamu's 2003-04 season. He directed Karamu's 2004-05 season-opening production, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange, and he directed the Ohio premiere of Dennis McIntyre's Split Second during the same season. In May, he directed a staged reading of Bridgette Wimberly's Saint Lucy's Eyes with Ruby Dee for FusionFest at the Cleveland Play House. In July, he was the theater abjudicator for Cleveland's second annual Ingenuity Festival, at which two Karamu productions were showcased.

Photo by Scott Diese

Carlos Rush as Bono and Abdullah Bey as Troy.

What's the Play About?

One of the 10 plays in August Wilson's "Pittsburgh Cycle," Fences is a compelling slice-of-life drama set in Pittsburgh in a period of time between 1957 and 1965.

The drama's central figure, Troy Maxson, is a man who once found fame and glory on the ballfield as a player in the Negro Leagues. Troy discovers that life after fame forces him to deal with the social and economic barriers imposed by racism. But might a man's own personal boundaries prove to be even more narrow and confining?

The play won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. The original 1987 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Play.

Photo by Scott Diese

Abdullah Bey as Troy Maxson, a former

slugger in the American Negro League.

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The Cast and Crew

THE PLAYERS

ABDULLAH BEY (Troy Maxson) lives in East Cleveland. He began his acting career at East Cleveland Community Theater and continued on the stages of the Cleveland Play House, Cleveland Public Theatre, the Beck Center, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Company, Bratenahl Playhouse, Karamu House and the "Tri-C" theaters of Cuyahoga Community College. His film credits include Telling Lies in America with Kevin Bacon; Counterpoint, a made-for-TV production; Ivan’s Journey, Pig and some commercials. He is a retired member of the United States Air Force.

CARLOS "C.T" RUSH (Bono) lives in Warren. He portrayed numerous characters in A Christmas Carol in 2005 at Packard Music Hall. He also appeared as the Father in I Miss My Mama at the Warren Western Reserve Theater.

LAYNE FARR (Rose) lives in Akron. She appeared three times in 1995 on TV's Showtime at the Apollo at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. This year, she played Nicole/wife and mother in Mama, Can You Hear Me? at Playhouse Square Center.

JASMINE MOORE (Raynell) lives in Akron. She is a second-grader at Essex Elementary School and was featured in Models Unlimited magazine in 2002. She has appeared in her first commercial, which was for the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and has done print work for DSW Shoes, Value City, American Greetings, RentWay and the Great Lakes Science Center.

J.C. PATTERSON (Gabriel) lives in Akron. He is a graduate of Akron's East High School. He graduated from Ashland University with a degree in general studies, and he also holds an associate degree in criminal justice and a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Akron.

RAYMONE SCOTT (Lyons) lives in Akron. He has appeared in such Weathervane productions as Wit (2002), August Wilson's Seven Guitars (2002) and God’s Trombones (2003). He is a youth tutor and mentor employed by the Butch Reynolds Foundation and the Akron Public Schools.

CHRISTOPHER HENDERSON (Cory) lives in Akron. He was last seen on our stage as Borachio in Much Ado About Nothing (2005). He is a junior at the University of Akron, where he is studying business management and communications. Previous theatrical appearances at the University include roles in Of Mice and Men, Moon Over Buffalo and August Wilson's Jitney.

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

TERRENCE SPIVEY

Director

MARCUS BENTLEY

Assistant to the Director

JERRY DORTON

Stage Manager

JERRY MIRMAN, JR.

Lighting Designer

JENNIFER KLIKA

Properties Designer

MARY MILLER-SOBAH