As Kansas City Melting Pot Theatre kicks off its 10th anniversary season, the company boldly tackles August Wilson’s “Fences,” an award winning play that saw a 2016 film adaptation featuring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.
Opening Feb. 13 at Just Off Broadway Theatre, this production promises to honor Wilson’s powerful narrative while bringing fresh perspective to the landmark drama.
Director Lynn King says she who made a deliberate choice to approach the material with fresh eyes, and asked the cast to avoid the temptation of mirroring previous stagings.
“I really wanted their personal input and their impressions of the script without any other influence,” says King. “ Then it becomes yours, as opposed to anyone else’s.”
Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, “Fences” follows Troy (played by Lewis Morrow), a former Negro League baseball player whose dreams of major league glory were crushed by racial barriers. Now a sanitation worker fighting to become the city’s first Black truck driver, Troy’s bitterness and pride complicate his relationships with his wife Rose (Melonnie Walker) and teenage son Cory (Terrace Wyatt Jr.), who seeks his own path through a college football scholarship.
The production features Dennis Jackson as Troy’s war-injured brother Gabriel, Tim Burks as his musician son Lyons, Jerron O’Neal as his longtime friend Jim Bono, and Zionne Dandridge as Raynell. Together, they bring to life Wilson’s exploration of family, responsibility, and the weight of unfulfilled dreams in Black America.
“People should expect to be surprised a bit by what they see, but also very entertained and pleased with our performance and production,” King notes. “When folks are going home, I think they’re going to be talking about the acting and how well the story was told.”
The play, which earned both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play in 1987, remains strikingly relevant today. Through Troy’s struggle to secure opportunities for himself and define success for his children, “Fences” examines how personal dreams and disappointments shape family legacies across generations.
Tickets are available at kcmeltingpot.com. All performances take place at Just Off Broadway Theatre located at 3051 Central St, KCMO.
“Fences” Performance Schedule:
Feb. 13 – 10 am* & 7:30 pm
Feb. 14 & 15 , 7:30 pm
Feb. 16 – 2 pm*
Feb. 19 – 22, 7:30 pm
Feb. 20 – 7:30 pm*
*Post-show discussions with cast and creative team offer audiences the opportunity to engage with the production’s themes and artistic choices.
