FENCES starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne

[Depaultheatrekid]

This production is playing at the Pasedena Playhouse and is reportedly hoping for a Broadway Revival. Has anyone heard anything about it or seen it? Wouldnt this be amazing on a New York STAGE?
"Fences," starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne

[apdarcey]

the two will be brilliant in this.

[Bettyboy72]

One of my favorite plays. Crossing fingers for Broadway with Bassett and Fishburne. :)

[MargoChanning]

I saw the original with the extraordinary performances of James Earl Jones, Mary Alice and Courtney B. Vance in the lead roles. It'd be nice to see it again with Fishburne and Bassett.

Apparently there's a lot of interest in August Wilson these days. I'll be seeing Signature's production of his SEVEN GUITARS later this week. They're also doing TWO TRAINS RUNNING a few months from now and his last play RADIO GOLF is due on Broadway in the Spring. Riedel mentions a recent one-man show by Charles Dutton of Wilson highlights that has garnered a great deal of interest among Broadway producers:
http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/august_tribute_entertainment_michael_riedel.htm

[Bettyboy72]

Oh Margo, you saw Mary Alice live. I'm so jealous. Another divine actress.

[MargoChanning]

Alice is amazing, but so underutilized. She gave a brilliant performance in FENCES, but I haven't seen her since (I missed her in HAVING OUR SAY -- I saw a different cast).

I think all of this attention on Wilson is great. I saw the original Broadway productions of all of his plays and think he ranks with the greatest of American dramatists. I'm still waiting for a revival of JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE which I think is his masterpiece. Incidentally, the OBC of it featured a young unknown Angela Bassett in the small but pivotal role of Martha Pentecost. I still get goosebumps just thinking about her scene (which was the final climactic one in the play).

[Depaultheatrekid]

Yeah Margo I have had the priviledge of watching the performance legally and on even on film those final moments were breathe taking!!!!! What do you think the chances of FENCES heading to NYC are? Do you think Laurence is Troy?

[MargoChanning]

Fishburne is first rate and has a very strong stage presence (he was terrific in TWO TRAINS RUNNING) so I think he should make a very good Troy. While he may not match Jones, who was a force of nature, he'll be more than satisfying. Bassett strikes me as a bit young and perhaps not earthy enough at this point for the beleagured wife role, but she's such a fine actress that I'm sure she'll find a way to make the character her own.

[pab]

I also saw Mary Alice and James Earl Jones in "Fences" and I saw Fishburne in "Two Trains Running". I can see Fishburne in "Fences" but to be honest I'm having a great deal of difficulty imagining Bassett in the other role. I hope to be surprised by her performance, if I get to see this production, but at the moment, in my mind anyway, she does not fit.

[Bettyboy72]

Maybe Alfre Woodard would be an option too. She's earthier and projects less regal overtones than Bassett.

[MargoChanning]

Yes, Bassett strikes me as too regal and too fiery and dynamic a presence for that part.

SPOILER

When Troy brings home his illegitimate baby and admits his infidelity, the reason the explosion from Alice was so powerful was that this was clearly a woman who had spent years biting her tongue, suffering in silence and turning a blind eye to her husband's many betrayals. Alice played it as it being the final straw -- that years of frustration had finally boiled over and were being suddenly unleashed and it was shattering to witness.

Bassett's persona is too strong at the outset and she doesn't seem to be the type of woman who'd have suffered in silence for years and subjugated her own feelings and personhood to allow Troy to be the "man of the house" and not threaten his ego. There doesn't seem to be a docile bone in her body. Bassett would have tossed him out years ago -- or at least that's how she comes across. Maybe there's some way that she can make it work though -- but she'll likely give a very different spin to the character than Alice did, no matter what she does.

Woodard or Merkerson would seem to be a much more natural fit.

[Depaultheatrekid]

I understand exactly what you're saying Bassett does give off that in her work but at the same time if you look at her range of work I think as you have stated she is more than capable of pulling it off. Angela has a way of making almost any role fit even if it isnt completely tailor made for her.

[RentBoy86]

I hope this moves to Broadway, although I'm not sure how dueling Wilson shows would work on Broadway. My school did "The Piano Lesson" last year and I went two times because I found myself so involved in that play. It such a great production of such a great play. I really want to see more of his work.

[aspiringactress]

Wilson is quickly becoming one of my favorite playwrights, and I would love the opportunity to see some of his shows.

[Depaultheatrekid]

The Names of Angela and Laurence would be a HUGE draw I would think in marketing.....as far as battling with Radio Golf hopefully the could easily co-exist on the great white way.

[madbrian]

Bassett and Fishbourne were AMAZING in the bio-movie about Tina Turner. Any reason to doubt they could recapture that type of chemistry on stage?

[Bettyboy72]

Bassett, I am sure would make great, more understated choices for the part. She is a total pro. I agree with Margo that the personae (her most noted and celebrated roles) is that of a fiery, dynamic prescence. The audience would almost be waiting for the "explosion."

I also remember the controversy surrounding her statements made about Halle Berry's character in 'Monster's Ball'. She alluded to the fact that as a woman of color she would not be denigraded to playing what she likened to a 'prostitute.' That part in Monster's Ball would not have been a good fit due to Bassett's acting style and shows how she could have difficulty playing someone who she, as a woman, does not like 'on paper'. The statements sounded like sour grapes and a diva turn after Berry won the much deserved Oscar.

Her making statements like that can affect how an audience reacts to her. Whether we like it or not, how actors articulate their work does have an impact on how we view their work. The most successful actors are those who keep their head down and just do the work. Unfortunately, the press and media rarely let them do that.

[Jon]

But were you aware that Angela Basset is married to Courtney Vance?

[MargoChanning]

Fishburne and Bassett do indeed have great chemistry together -- in addition to What's Love Got to Do with It, the co-starred together in Boyz in the Hood and the recent Akeeleh and the Bee, so I assume they enjoy working together. It's just that I don't think that they're perfect for every project. Given how strong they each are, ideally I'd like to see them in plays/movies where their characters are equally dynamic.

I will always lament the proposed Broadway production a decade ago of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF that was to star the two of them, as well as James Earl Jones as Big Daddy that never happened. Apparently, all three had cleared their schedules to be able to do it, but somehow the producer screwed up (it was never made public -- either he didn't get the money together in time or he let the option expire, I'm not sure) and the whole thing fell apart because of one man's incompetence. All three were extremely disappointed (and Jones made a point of blasting the producer in the press), but not as much as I and many of the people who were dying to see it.

Fishburne and Bassett should be a major box office draw for anything they decide to do, so be it FENCES or something else (how about VIRGINIA WOOLF or LONG DAYS somewhere in the future?), it'll certainly be a highlight of the season.

[StageManager2]

... and they just had twins (via a surrogate mother, I think).

[Depaultheatrekid]

WOW! well the casting get more and more interesting......