Marion McClinton Steps in for Lou Bellamy at Capri Theater's FENCES Talk

Due to a conflict, Lou Bellamy will no longer be able to lead a discussion of Fences at the Capri Theater on Thursday, September 7. Denzel Washington's Oscar-winning adaptation of August Wilson's Fences will now be followed by a discussion led by actor and director Marion McClinton.

The screening begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 7 at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway, Minneapolis. Tickets to First Thursday Films are $5 and can be purchased in advance at www.mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show.

Playwright August Wilson's masterpiece about a working-class African American father's struggle to raise his family in 1950s Pittsburgh finally made it to the screen after numerous attempts over many years.

Directed by and starring Denzel Washington (Malcolm X) alongside Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) in her Academy-Award winning role, Fences examines former Negro League baseball player Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) as he fights to provide for those he loves in a world that threatens to push him down. This directorial triumph pulses with the universal truths of love and forgiveness, regardless of what lies beyond your own fence.

Each First Thursday Films screening at the Capri is followed by a passionate discussion of the movie. Fences will be followed by a discussion with Marion McClinton, a friend of Wilson's and one of the playwright's greatest collaborators.

Known for his award-winning Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of Wilson's work, with whom he had a long friendship and professional relationship, Marion directed Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Broadway revival), King Hedley II (Broadway premiere, regional theatres), Jitney (Off-Broadway, regional and international theatres), Gem of the Ocean (Goodman Theatre, Mark Taper Forum), Seven Guitars and Two Trains Running (CenterStage), Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Missouri Repertory), and Fences (Indiana Repertory Theatre, Paramount Pictures).

In addition, Mr. McClinton helped shape the screenplay for the film adaptation of Fences. He is an Associate Artist of CenterStage. His plays include Police Boys and Stones and Bones (1994 Humana Festival). Awards include three Audelco Awards, Kesselring Prize, OBIE, NEA/TCG Pew Charitable Trust Grant, Drama Desk and Evening Standard nominations. He is an alumnus of both New Dramatists and the Playwrights' Center.

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul receives additional support for this series from the law firm of Grey Plant Mooty and the Minneapolis Foundation.

For more information, visit www.thecapritheater.org or www.mspfilm.org.