For Immediate Release: December 19, 2006
Media Contact: Steve Brady, The Stagecrafters, 215.247.8881

The next production at The Stagecrafters theater is August Wilson's "Fences", which since its first performance in 1985 has attained the status of an American classic. Set in the late nineteen-fifties and spanning into the mid-sixties, "Fences" tells the story of Troy Maxson, a black man born just too early to benefit from the civil rights movement and the changes it wrought; a man who might have been a major league ballplayer but ended up a trash collector. He tries to do right by his family and closest friends, but in the face of many crushed dreams, he takes out his anger and frustrations on those he loves most.

The characters portrayed are, ". deeply human, funny, and desperately moving", says director Dave Ebersole. "[They] jump off the page. There are only a handful of playwrights that have come along in the last century [who] can write characters with that much depth." He continues, "August Wilson was really one of the last masters of the American theater!" In this production, Dave feels, The Stagecrafters has brought together ". an outstanding ensemble of performers." When "Fences" opened on Broadway in 1987, with James Earl Jones as Troy, it won awards across the board, from the Tony to Critics' Awards to the Pulitzer Prize that year. The past two decades have seen many revival productions, the most recent of which, at the Pasadena Playhouse last year, featured Laurence Fishburne as Troy and Angela Bassett as Rose.

Performance dates are January 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 at 8 p.m., January 14 and 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $15.00. (Thu. eve performances "2 for $20"). Students with valid ID get $2.00 off general admission. Groups of 15 or more are offered a reduced rate of $12.00 a ticket. Subscriptions are available for the remainder of the season at $48.00 for four (4) productions and may be purchased online, by mail using the form in this season's brochure, or at the box office when attending a show in the current production. The box office opens 45 minutes before each performance. For reservations call 215-247-8881. The theater is located in the heart of Chestnut Hill at 8130 Germantown Ave. NOTE: Special added benefit performance Wed. January 17 at 8 p.m. Visit website for details: www.thestagecrafters.org

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