‘Fences’ is a triumph at The Little Theatre of Alexandria

August Wilson’s ‘Fences‘ might just be one of the best productions that The Little Theatre of Alexandria has put on in years.

The 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a close look at the lives of a Black family in Pittsburgh during the 1950s and 1960s. Chances for success have passed by Troy Maxson (Albert Bolden), a former star baseball player beyond his prime and beaten down by society and circumstance. Maxson’s son, Cory (Jared Diallo), is a football star, but his father’s bitterness over his own missed chances cloud Cory’s bright future.

With only memories of greatness keeping him going, the audience sits transfixed as they watch Troy slowly ruin his life while his wife Rose (Brenda Parker) takes the reins of responsibility.

Parker and Bolden deserve awards for their performances, as happiness and innocent love awaken to betrayal, disappointment and survival. Parker’s performance is particularly captivating, as she carries a majority of the play by bravely lifting the weight of extreme personal loss and responsibility.

“When a person has spent their entire life trapped behind real and imagined fences, they cannot go after their dreams,” said director Eleanore Tapscott. “At a time when the minority power brokers are working fast and hard to literally whitewash the nation’s history — and that of African Americans — it is important to tell this story, because by exploring African American perspectives and culture, and examining and recognizing America’s legacy of racism, we have a change, by working together, to make ‘good trouble’ and effect positive change for the future.”

All theater-goers at The Little Theatre must show proof of vaccination at the door and wear masks during the performance. The show runs until September 25.

The next show at The Little Theatre of Alexandria is the thriller “Wait Until Dark”, which runs from October 16 to November 6.

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