August Wilson's Award-Winning Play, Fences about an African American Baseball Player

August Wilson's award winning play, Fences, airs at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey from January 10th until February 9th. The play revolves mainly around a former African American baseball player, Troy, attempting to keep his family together but leaving his family members incarcerated to his desires rather than their own. Emmy nominee and Tony award winning director, Phylicia Rashad, leaves the audience believing Troy is the protagonist by the end of the first act and they are left questioning who the antagonist is. The protagonist of a play is the central character usually equipped with the antagonist, the person or thing that prevents the protagonist from his or her wants. By the end of the play the audience is left with the realization that Troy's son, Corey, is the real protagonist with his father serving as the antagonist.

Corey is the character who's attitude fluctuates throughout the entire play. His primary "want" is to play football: go to college for football and eventually play in the professional league. His father however, who recollects his baseball playing years numerous times, forbids his son from doing so to "protect" him. He believes that pursuing a career in any sports is basically a set- up for disaster. While he hits the baseball tied to the tree in their backyard, he reminisces how good of an athlete he was but he ended up as a garbage pick-up man (eventually upgrading to the garbage truck driver). Troy seems to be living vicariously through his son's life, the life that he would choose if he were Corey's age still. Also, there is definitely the underlying feeling that Troy's jealously of Corey's open opportunities is his urge to prevent Corey from pursuing his dream. His anger towards his fathe...

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... of the play, Gabe attempts to blow his horn and "open the gates of heaven" for Troy. His attempts fail, until finally he projects to the sky to open the passage to heaven and let Troy in. A bright light showing that "heaven" has opened appears and then blackout concludes the play.

Gabe portrays hope throughout the entire play. Troy ruins the family bond that he spent years trying to maintain and he broke the trust of his own wife and child. He realizes this and knows that he will not be forgiven. But since Corey is an incredibly flexible character he realizes that he must forgive his father so he will not live a life of hatred and he will be able to start new, not living in the shadow of his father's mistakes. Gabe proves that in spite of the fact that Troy was not able to make it to heaven by himself, everybody should have a second chance for reconciliation.