August Wilson Fences Dr Moschetta English 12 Life

August Wilson & Fences Dr. Moschetta English 12

Life & Background n Born in Pittsburgh to a white father (Frederick August Kittle) who never lived with his family and a black mother (Daisy Wilson) from North Carolina. He shared life with his mother and five siblings. n 1960 s - Flunked out of 9 th grade and at worked menial jobs beginning at age 16. He received his education in libraries and in town hubs.

Life & Background n 1960 s - 1970 s - Became involved in the civil rights movement and began to describe himself as black nationalist. n Moved to Minneapolis and began to write, clearly using speech patterns and rhythms that were familiar to him from black neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. his writing was also strongly influenced by the blues.

Life & Background n n Began writing plays in Pittsburgh and then took a job in St. Paul writing dramatic skits for the Science Museum of Minnesota. 1968 - Founded and directed the Black Horizon Theatre Company in Pittsburgh in a predominantly black neighborhood referred to as the Hill.

Life & Background n In 1972 he began writing a play, Jitney, about a Gypsy cab station, which was produced in 1978 at Black Horizon and in 1982 at the Eugene O'Neill Center's National Playwright Conference. The play was revived and presented at the 1997 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Pittsburgh Cycle n n A series of 10 of Wilson’s plays, nine of which are set in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, each set in a different decade All designed to represent the African American people’s existence in the United states during the 20 th century n n n n n 1900 s – Gem of the Ocean 1910 s – Joe Turner’s Come and Gone 1920 s – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (set in Chicago) 1930 s – The Piano Lesson 1940 s – Seven Guitars 1950 s – Fences 1960 s – Two Trains Running 1970 s – Jitney 1980 s – King Hedley II 1990 s – Radio Golf

Pulitzer Prize Winning Plays n Fences n n Written in 1985 Pulitzer Prize in 1987 n The Piano Lesson n n Written in 1989 Pulitzer Prize in 1990

August Wilson’s Death n n In August 2005, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and given 3 -5 months to live He died on October 2, 2005 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle

Fences n n Fences presents a slice-of-life in a black tenement in (Pittsburgh? ) set in the late 1950 s through 1965. The main character, Troy Maxson, is a garbage collector who has taken great pride in keeping his family together and providing for them.

Fences n n Troy's rebellion and frustration set the tone for the play as he struggles for fairness in a society which seems to offer none. In his struggle he builds fences between himself and family. Troy also wrestles with the idea of death and claims that he sees death as nothing but a fastball, something he can handle. The baseball metaphor is used in relation to death and throughout the play.