Thursday, September 3, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Final Statement
The play, Fences, is part of series of other plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle which were also written by August Wilson. Each play depicts and takes place during a decade within the 20th century in a neighborhood called Hill district (located in Pittsburgh). It turns out Wilson was a native to the Hill district which most likely means his depictions could be accurate. Research of the Hill district should be taken into account and will definitely influence the play and the characters within the play. Fences takes place during the decade of the 1950s. Many events took place during this time which will effect the world that the characters live in. During this time, civil rights movement took place and leaders like Martin Luther King started to speak out against the racial discrimination and second citizen treatment. African Americans felt the need to prove that they deserved to be part of this world as much as anyone else. During this decade, the major league baseball accepted African Americans into the league. Some came from the negro league team in Hill district. There were even black men like TROY, who sought out the dream and goal of becoming a professional baseball player only to have those dreams dashed to bits by racism. Fences shows the result and effects of racism and discrimination.
Making August Wilson’s Fences into a play requires many factors to take into account. One of them is the casting of the characters for this production. The script focus on the struggles of African Americans and how they cope with their struggles. Therefore, non traditional casting is unacceptable. Fences is a play about race and specifically about blacks and how their treatment out in the white American world affects them mentally, spiritually, emotionally and domestically. Casting non race specific would ruin the message the play is trying to send out. Casting characters with physical disabilities wouldn’t take away from the play. One question will the audience be able to see pass the physical disabilities and depending on the disability will the blocking be changed. What choices will the director make that will overcome the obstacles that an actor with a physical disability would experience. Another issue is casting actors for Troy, Gabriel and Rose. Are the actors required to have a singing background or will a voice coach be needed? Finally, will age be an issue when the director cast Raynell. Will the director use a child actress to portray Raynell or an older actress? Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company's production of Fences address the issue of casting Raynell's character using an actual girl or an older woman portraying a girl. This theatre company decided to use seven year old, Sarah Jordan to play the part of Raynell. Another thing that could be linked to casting is August Wilson’s black director only policy. If the show is not directed by an African American, would the production lack something that only an African American director could bring to the production? Geva Theatre had to ask for special permission from August Wilson's widow for their white director, Mark Cuddy to direct the show. There is a possibility that the non-black director will have to ask for permission.
The script poses some problems that directors and designers have to collaborate together to solve. One of the problems is the over all layout of the set. There are scenes that take place on porch of the house, in the yard of the house and in the alley next the house. Since the house is the main focus of the play, how will the house be positioned on stage and how much space will the house take up? How will the set affect the blocking and will it be too cluttered? If the director wanted to remain consistent with the time period that the play takes place, the design of the house has to be accurate as well. The designers can’t just design any kind of house. Fences takes place in the Hill district which is predominantly African American and possible lower income homes. The house designs in northern united states contrast greatly with the houses of the southern united states. These are things to consider during the production of this play.
Making August Wilson’s Fences into a play requires many factors to take into account. One of them is the casting of the characters for this production. The script focus on the struggles of African Americans and how they cope with their struggles. Therefore, non traditional casting is unacceptable. Fences is a play about race and specifically about blacks and how their treatment out in the white American world affects them mentally, spiritually, emotionally and domestically. Casting non race specific would ruin the message the play is trying to send out. Casting characters with physical disabilities wouldn’t take away from the play. One question will the audience be able to see pass the physical disabilities and depending on the disability will the blocking be changed. What choices will the director make that will overcome the obstacles that an actor with a physical disability would experience. Another issue is casting actors for Troy, Gabriel and Rose. Are the actors required to have a singing background or will a voice coach be needed? Finally, will age be an issue when the director cast Raynell. Will the director use a child actress to portray Raynell or an older actress? Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company's production of Fences address the issue of casting Raynell's character using an actual girl or an older woman portraying a girl. This theatre company decided to use seven year old, Sarah Jordan to play the part of Raynell. Another thing that could be linked to casting is August Wilson’s black director only policy. If the show is not directed by an African American, would the production lack something that only an African American director could bring to the production? Geva Theatre had to ask for special permission from August Wilson's widow for their white director, Mark Cuddy to direct the show. There is a possibility that the non-black director will have to ask for permission.
The script poses some problems that directors and designers have to collaborate together to solve. One of the problems is the over all layout of the set. There are scenes that take place on porch of the house, in the yard of the house and in the alley next the house. Since the house is the main focus of the play, how will the house be positioned on stage and how much space will the house take up? How will the set affect the blocking and will it be too cluttered? If the director wanted to remain consistent with the time period that the play takes place, the design of the house has to be accurate as well. The designers can’t just design any kind of house. Fences takes place in the Hill district which is predominantly African American and possible lower income homes. The house designs in northern united states contrast greatly with the houses of the southern united states. These are things to consider during the production of this play.
Educator's Packet
Basic Facts
Fences is a drama written by August Wilson from a series of other plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Each play within the series depicts a decade in the 20th century of African American neighborhood called the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Fences represents the decade of the 1950s. The play is two act with a cast consisting of five males and two females. The running time of the play is approximately two hours and 40 minutes.
Plot summary
The play begins with TROY and BONO, talking about work and the unequal treatment of black and white workers. TROY is a hard working man who has endured through many struggles in life from abuse from his father to incarceration to discrimination and racism. TROY has a loving and devoted wife, ROSE and a high school age son, CORY. TROY takes it as his responsibility to provide for them with the income of a garbage man. In addition, he provides for his war wounded brother Gabriel, who believes he is an angel, and is brother from a previous marriage, LYONS. Each of these characters need something from TROY. His son, CORY, wants to pursue a career in football but TROY refuses support him. Having these constant responsibilities and struggles doesn’t leave room for himself which results in him finding his ‘escape’ in an affair with another woman. His actions leaves the woman with child and him a father. He tells ROSE, who is not only hurt and angry, refuses to have anything to do with him. The other woman dies in child birth and TROY ask ROSE to take care of his child, RAYNELL. She accepts the child but renounces her duties as being ‘his woman’. Seven years pass and every gathers together for TROY funeral. Family deal with the unresolved issues they have with TROY and eventually have to let go of the past and move forward.
Playwright
August Wilson is an American playwright. His literary legacy is the ten play series, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each is set in a different decade, depicting the comic and tragic aspects of the African-American experience in the twentieth century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson
Production History
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, California September 2006-October 2006
“Time has enhanced the luster of "Fences." Dozens of dysfunctional-family dramas have come and gone since its 1987 Pulitzer win, but August Wilson's tragedy of a working man at war with his family and his own identity circa 1957 stands apart thanks to its distinctive lyricism and theatricality and its unforgettable central character”
Geva Theatre Rochester, New York May 2009-June 2009
“…one of the most engaging productions I've seen on the Geva stage.”
Penumbra Theatre Company Saint Paul, Minnesota August 2008-September 2008
“Wilson’s words have power and motion and a driving force that makes Fences a real thrill to watch in action.”
Angus Bowmer Theatre Ashland, Oregon Febuary 2008-July 2008
“August Wilson's magnificent "Fences" reminds us where we've been, how far we've come and the limitless possibilities of where we can go.”
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre San Francisco, California March 2008 - April 2008
“…most commercially successful play in the cycle”
Things to do and Think About
1. When building and designing the set, what was the greatest challenge for the designers?
2. (For the director) Did you want the audience to be sympathetic toward Troy? Why?
3. Which character was the most difficult to portray through directorial choices ?
4. What reasoning led you to have Gabriel portrayed in that way directorially?
5. Have you directed this play before and if you have what changes have you made to the production?
Additional References
Homepage for August Wilson
http://www.augustwilson.net/
This website has a archive of primary document by August Wilson and would be helpful to understand the works and ideas of Wilson from previous works he has done.
The Hill District History
http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/hill/hill_n4.html
This website is an Q&A setup of frequently asked questions of the Hill District. The setting of Fences is in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA and this website would help understand the world of the play.
Negro League Players
http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/players/players_index.html
This website gives a list of famous negro baseball players and their information. The play makes a lot of references to players within the Negro League of that time and Troy used to play in the Negro Leagues.
Civil Rights Timeline
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
This website gives a timeline of significant invents during civil rights. The time that the play is set is during civil rights era.
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/awilson.html
A study guide and informing website for teachers who want to experience Fences in an education setup.
Fences is a drama written by August Wilson from a series of other plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Each play within the series depicts a decade in the 20th century of African American neighborhood called the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Fences represents the decade of the 1950s. The play is two act with a cast consisting of five males and two females. The running time of the play is approximately two hours and 40 minutes.
Plot summary
The play begins with TROY and BONO, talking about work and the unequal treatment of black and white workers. TROY is a hard working man who has endured through many struggles in life from abuse from his father to incarceration to discrimination and racism. TROY has a loving and devoted wife, ROSE and a high school age son, CORY. TROY takes it as his responsibility to provide for them with the income of a garbage man. In addition, he provides for his war wounded brother Gabriel, who believes he is an angel, and is brother from a previous marriage, LYONS. Each of these characters need something from TROY. His son, CORY, wants to pursue a career in football but TROY refuses support him. Having these constant responsibilities and struggles doesn’t leave room for himself which results in him finding his ‘escape’ in an affair with another woman. His actions leaves the woman with child and him a father. He tells ROSE, who is not only hurt and angry, refuses to have anything to do with him. The other woman dies in child birth and TROY ask ROSE to take care of his child, RAYNELL. She accepts the child but renounces her duties as being ‘his woman’. Seven years pass and every gathers together for TROY funeral. Family deal with the unresolved issues they have with TROY and eventually have to let go of the past and move forward.
Playwright
August Wilson is an American playwright. His literary legacy is the ten play series, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each is set in a different decade, depicting the comic and tragic aspects of the African-American experience in the twentieth century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson
Production History
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, California September 2006-October 2006
“Time has enhanced the luster of "Fences." Dozens of dysfunctional-family dramas have come and gone since its 1987 Pulitzer win, but August Wilson's tragedy of a working man at war with his family and his own identity circa 1957 stands apart thanks to its distinctive lyricism and theatricality and its unforgettable central character”
Geva Theatre Rochester, New York May 2009-June 2009
“…one of the most engaging productions I've seen on the Geva stage.”
Penumbra Theatre Company Saint Paul, Minnesota August 2008-September 2008
“Wilson’s words have power and motion and a driving force that makes Fences a real thrill to watch in action.”
Angus Bowmer Theatre Ashland, Oregon Febuary 2008-July 2008
“August Wilson's magnificent "Fences" reminds us where we've been, how far we've come and the limitless possibilities of where we can go.”
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre San Francisco, California March 2008 - April 2008
“…most commercially successful play in the cycle”
Things to do and Think About
1. When building and designing the set, what was the greatest challenge for the designers?
2. (For the director) Did you want the audience to be sympathetic toward Troy? Why?
3. Which character was the most difficult to portray through directorial choices ?
4. What reasoning led you to have Gabriel portrayed in that way directorially?
5. Have you directed this play before and if you have what changes have you made to the production?
Additional References
Homepage for August Wilson
http://www.augustwilson.net/
This website has a archive of primary document by August Wilson and would be helpful to understand the works and ideas of Wilson from previous works he has done.
The Hill District History
http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/hill/hill_n4.html
This website is an Q&A setup of frequently asked questions of the Hill District. The setting of Fences is in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA and this website would help understand the world of the play.
Negro League Players
http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/players/players_index.html
This website gives a list of famous negro baseball players and their information. The play makes a lot of references to players within the Negro League of that time and Troy used to play in the Negro Leagues.
Civil Rights Timeline
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
This website gives a timeline of significant invents during civil rights. The time that the play is set is during civil rights era.
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/awilson.html
A study guide and informing website for teachers who want to experience Fences in an education setup.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Educator's Packet
Educator’s Packet
Basic Facts
Fences is a drama written by August Wilson from a series of other plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Each play within the series depicts a decade in the 20th century of African American neighborhood called the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Fences represents the decade of the 1950s. The play is two act with a cast consisting of five males and two females. The running time of the play is approximately two hours and 40 minutes.
Plot summaryThe play begins with TROY and BONO, talking about work and the unequal treatment of black and white workers. TROY is a hard working man who has endured through many struggles in life from abuse from his father to incarceration to discrimination and racism. TROY has a loving and devoted wife, ROSE and a high school age son, CORY. TROY takes it as his responsibility to provide for them with the income of a garbage man. In addition, he provides for his war wounded brother Gabriel, who believes he is an angel, and is brother from a previous marriage, LYONS. Each of these characters need something from TROY. His son, CORY, wants to pursue a career in football but TROY refuses support him. Having these constant responsibilities and struggles doesn’t leave room for himself which results in him finding his ‘escape’ in an affair with another woman. His actions leaves the woman with child and him a father. He tells ROSE, who is not only hurt and angry, refuses to have anything to do with him. The other woman dies in child birth and TROY ask ROSE to take care of his child, RAYNELL. She accepts the child but renounces her duties as being ‘his woman’. Seven years pass and every gathers together for TROY funeral. Family deal with the unresolved issues they have with TROY and eventually have to let go of the past and move forward.
PlaywrightAugust Wilson is an American playwright. His literary legacy is the ten play series, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each is set in a different decade, depicting the comic and tragic aspects of the African-American experience in the twentieth century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson
Production History
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, California September 2006-October 2006
“Time has enhanced the luster of "Fences." Dozens of dysfunctional-family dramas have come and gone since its 1987 Pulitzer win, but August Wilson's tragedy of a working man at war with his family and his own identity circa 1957 stands apart thanks to its distinctive lyricism and theatricality and its unforgettable central character”
Geva Theatre Rochester, New York May 2009-June 2009
“…one of the most engaging productions I've seen on the Geva stage.”
Penumbra Theatre Company Saint Paul, Minnesota August 2008-September 2008
“Wilson’s words have power and motion and a driving force that makes Fences a real thrill to watch in action.”
Angus Bowmer Theatre Ashland, Oregon Febuary 2008-July 2008
“August Wilson's magnificent "Fences" reminds us where we've been, how far we've come and the limitless possibilities of where we can go.”
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre San Francisco, California March 2008 - April 2008
“…most commercially successful play in the cycle”
Things to do and Think About
1. When building and designing the set, what was the greatest challenge for the designers?
2. (For the director) Did you want the audience to be sympathetic toward Troy? Why?
3. Which character was the most difficult to portray through directorial choices ?
4. What reasoning led you to have Gabriel portrayed in that way directorially?
5. Have you directed this play before and if you have what changes have you made to the production?
Additional References
Homepage for August Wilson
http://www.augustwilson.net/
This website has a archive of primary document by August Wilson and would be helpful to understand the works and ideas of Wilson from previous works he has done.
The Hill District History
http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/hill/hill_n4.html
This website is an Q&A setup of frequently asked questions of the Hill District. The setting of Fences is in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA and this website would help understand the world of the play.
Negro League Players
http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/players/players_index.html
This website gives a list of famous negro baseball players and their information. The play makes a lot of references to players within the Negro League of that time and Troy used to play in the Negro Leagues.
Civil Rights Timeline
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
This website gives a timeline of significant invents during civil rights. The time that the play is set is during civil rights era.
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/awilson.html
A study guide and informing website for teachers who want to experience Fences in an education setup.
Basic Facts
Fences is a drama written by August Wilson from a series of other plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Each play within the series depicts a decade in the 20th century of African American neighborhood called the Hill District in Pittsburgh. Fences represents the decade of the 1950s. The play is two act with a cast consisting of five males and two females. The running time of the play is approximately two hours and 40 minutes.
Plot summaryThe play begins with TROY and BONO, talking about work and the unequal treatment of black and white workers. TROY is a hard working man who has endured through many struggles in life from abuse from his father to incarceration to discrimination and racism. TROY has a loving and devoted wife, ROSE and a high school age son, CORY. TROY takes it as his responsibility to provide for them with the income of a garbage man. In addition, he provides for his war wounded brother Gabriel, who believes he is an angel, and is brother from a previous marriage, LYONS. Each of these characters need something from TROY. His son, CORY, wants to pursue a career in football but TROY refuses support him. Having these constant responsibilities and struggles doesn’t leave room for himself which results in him finding his ‘escape’ in an affair with another woman. His actions leaves the woman with child and him a father. He tells ROSE, who is not only hurt and angry, refuses to have anything to do with him. The other woman dies in child birth and TROY ask ROSE to take care of his child, RAYNELL. She accepts the child but renounces her duties as being ‘his woman’. Seven years pass and every gathers together for TROY funeral. Family deal with the unresolved issues they have with TROY and eventually have to let go of the past and move forward.
PlaywrightAugust Wilson is an American playwright. His literary legacy is the ten play series, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each is set in a different decade, depicting the comic and tragic aspects of the African-American experience in the twentieth century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Wilson
Production History
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena, California September 2006-October 2006
“Time has enhanced the luster of "Fences." Dozens of dysfunctional-family dramas have come and gone since its 1987 Pulitzer win, but August Wilson's tragedy of a working man at war with his family and his own identity circa 1957 stands apart thanks to its distinctive lyricism and theatricality and its unforgettable central character”
Geva Theatre Rochester, New York May 2009-June 2009
“…one of the most engaging productions I've seen on the Geva stage.”
Penumbra Theatre Company Saint Paul, Minnesota August 2008-September 2008
“Wilson’s words have power and motion and a driving force that makes Fences a real thrill to watch in action.”
Angus Bowmer Theatre Ashland, Oregon Febuary 2008-July 2008
“August Wilson's magnificent "Fences" reminds us where we've been, how far we've come and the limitless possibilities of where we can go.”
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre San Francisco, California March 2008 - April 2008
“…most commercially successful play in the cycle”
Things to do and Think About
1. When building and designing the set, what was the greatest challenge for the designers?
2. (For the director) Did you want the audience to be sympathetic toward Troy? Why?
3. Which character was the most difficult to portray through directorial choices ?
4. What reasoning led you to have Gabriel portrayed in that way directorially?
5. Have you directed this play before and if you have what changes have you made to the production?
Additional References
Homepage for August Wilson
http://www.augustwilson.net/
This website has a archive of primary document by August Wilson and would be helpful to understand the works and ideas of Wilson from previous works he has done.
The Hill District History
http://www.clpgh.org/exhibit/neighborhoods/hill/hill_n4.html
This website is an Q&A setup of frequently asked questions of the Hill District. The setting of Fences is in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, PA and this website would help understand the world of the play.
Negro League Players
http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/players/players_index.html
This website gives a list of famous negro baseball players and their information. The play makes a lot of references to players within the Negro League of that time and Troy used to play in the Negro Leagues.
Civil Rights Timeline
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
This website gives a timeline of significant invents during civil rights. The time that the play is set is during civil rights era.
Web English Teacher
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/awilson.html
A study guide and informing website for teachers who want to experience Fences in an education setup.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Producing Play Statement
As good as August Wilson’s Fences is textually, the script poses some problems that directors and designers have to collaborate together to solve. One of the problems is the over all layout of the set. There are scenes that take place on porch of the house, in the yard of the house and in the alley next the house. Since the house is the main focus of the play, how will the house be positioned on stage and how much space will the house take up? How will the set affect the blocking and will it be too cluttered? Another problem to consider is the Gabriel’s dance at the end of the play. Will the actor improvise the whole segment or will it be choreographed? If it is choreographed, what kind of dance style will it be and which choreographer will the director hire? Another issue is casting actors for Troy, Gabriel and Rose. Are the actors required to have a singing background or will a voice coach be needed? Finally, will age be an issue when the director cast Raynell. Will the director use a child actress to portray Raynell or an older actress? These are things to consider when performing a production of Fences. If a production of this show was included in the 2010-2011 UTC season, there will a few problems our staff, faculty and students have to address. One of them is whether to have the show in main stage or showcase. Main stage is for a larger audience and includes not only students and faculty on campus but the natives of Huntsville, Texas. Will this play draw the attention of the residence of Huntsville and does that make a difference? Showcase is usually for shows that are smaller audience and may be placed there because of the content of the play. Another question is Fences ‘content friendly’ in this time and for this location? For portraying Raynell, will the director have a student from the Sam Houston play her or will they find a child of that age within the local area? If the director is cast age specific for the child, like Penny did for The Full Monty, will special permission from their guardian be required? Finally, who will direct the show? Since it’s a ‘black’ play, will Kandice and Bill take the position as director or does that even matter? Does Fences call for a music director as result of the songs Troy, Gabriel and Rose sing? Many theatre companies performing this production deal with the problems differently and find different solutions. The Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California addressed the set layout issue by making the whole set consisting of only the front porch of the house. As a result it pushed all the action downstage toward the audience. In another situation, the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company's production of Fences address the issue of casting Raynell's character using an actual girl or an older woman portraying a girl. This theatre company decided to use seven year old, Sarah Jordan to play the part of Raynell. Another issue that one production had to face was Wilson's only rule for the production of his plays was only using a black director to direct his plays. However, Geva Theatre had to ask for special permission from August Wilson's widow for their white director, Mark Cuddy to direct the show. Different productions lead to different interpretation of the play which lead to use of different theatrical elements within the production of the play. As a result, some of the choices that theatre companies make with Fences generate good or bad reactions out of critic. One critic was confused about 'dog barking' sound effects Penumbra used every time Troy talked about his past struggles to survive. This ambiguous choice left the critics and possibly the audience confused. Another critic for Geva's production of Fences, didn't have any objections to having a white director and actually found in enlightening. Another critic enjoyed the choice of having the front porch of the house the main set on stage and pushing all the action to the front. The critic for Pasadena Playhouse actually found it intimate for the audience.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Producing the Play
Producing Organization:Pasadena PlayhouseTheatre: Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena, California
September 2006-October 2006
Director: Sheldon Epps
Designers:Sets, Gary L. Wissmann
lighting, Paulie Jenkins
costumes, Dana Rebecca Woods
sound, Pierre Dupree
But the real acting surprise is Orlando Jones as Troy's war-wounded brother, who now believes he is the Archangel Gabriel. Unhampered by this symbolic baggage, Jones demonstrates an intensity and emotional accessibility hitherto unhinted-at in a score of movie and TV comedies. Brain-damaged characters usually suffer as thesps go overboard on physical and vocal quirks, but Jones' Gabriel is a model of expressiveness and precise choices.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117931456.html?categoryid=33&cs=1
The single-set porch and yard literally function as a stage for Troy's stories, told with such animation and force by Fishburne that the audience feels present within the Maxson's property. To further facilitate that intimacy, Gary L. Wissmann's scenic design pushes the action downstage: the porch ends near center stage, and the yellow, thatch lawn rakes downward toward the front row. Additionally, the mostly realistic set reveals a secret from the start: an expressionistic two-foot-wide crack runs horizontally across the two-story Maxson house, splitting the top and bottom halves and announcing that this home is already broken. Upstage, some Hill District tenements appear, but their visual separation keeps them distanced from our minds. Unlike Miller's A View from a Bridge, Fences remains a strictly family affair here, without anyone from the tenements witnessing Troy's wrestling with devils and death. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/theatre_journal/v059/59.2shaw.html
Producing Organization: Geva TheatreTheatre: Geva Theatre
Rochester, New York
May 2009-June 2009
Director: Mark Cuddy
Designers: Set: Shaun Motley
Costumes: Emilio Sosa
Lighting: Dawb Chiang
Sound: Ian Hildreth
Tony Todd, with his unforgettable, modulated, gravelly voice, was a superbly physical Troy Maxson. He had his audience in the palm of his hand from the opening scene in which he and Wiley Moore (as Bono) drink whiskey and Troy brags about his wife and their vigor as lovers. Like Troy Maxson, Todd is a master storyteller; in one of the most unforgettable scenes in this show, Troy reminisces about his abuse at the hands of his own father. Todd is known for his movie roles (Candyman, The Rock), but he is a first-rate actor, and here in Rochester he left nothing of August Wilson’s script on the page.
http://emsworth.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/august-wilsons-fences-at-geva-theatre-in-rochester/
Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1957 provides the setting for the story, and designer Shaun Motley provides the scenery, an immersive set made up of large-scale archival photos that act as a backdrop to the Maxsons' towering, three-dimensional house. "Fences" is all about metaphors - the fences of the title, the baseball themes that pepper the script the most obvious of them - and the set is one itself. On the one side of the stage stands a tree with a baseball tied to it, a ball that clearly saw a lot of use in its day, but which pointedly gets little action during the play. On the other side of the set three posts stick up, waiting for the fence that will be a long time coming. It's carefree dreams vs. work-a-day realities, and for Troy Maxson, the latter have become too stifling.
http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/stage/2009/05/THEATER-REVIEW-Fences/
Producing Organization: Penumbra Theatre CompanyTheatre: Minnesota Theatre
Saint Paul, Minnesota
August 2008-September 2008
Director: Lou Bellamy
Designers: C. Lance Brockman (Scenic Designer)
Don Darnutzer (Lighting Designer)
Martin Gwinup (Sound Designer)
Mathew J. LeFebvre (Costume Designer)
Like Gabriel, Troy wages his own spiritual battle in Fences; throughout, the character is convinced he's fighting for his life with the angel of Death itself. What seems, at first, like just another colorful story crosses into the more ambiguous territory of shared delusion; more than once, the audience hears the sound of dogs (hell-hounds?) approaching and sees a ghostly light encroach upon the entrance to the house. Troy fights these harbingers off more than once in the course of the play, but still death touches him closely through the fates of others.
http://www.mnartists.org/article.do?rid=204607
Producing Organization:
Theatre: Angus Bowmer Theatre
Ashland, Oregon
Febuary 2008-July 2008
Director: Leah C. Gardiner
Designers: Scott Bradley, Set
Dawn Chiang, Light Design
Michael Keck, Sound
Charles Robinson plays Troy Maxson, a father figure of King Lear-like proportions, who struts and rages in his kingdom - a Pittsburgh home in the late '50s. Imperfect and endlessly interesting, Troy is a good man, a flawed man and a man who fights himself every day. Robinson gives a robust, deeply felt performance that balances beautifully with that of Shona Tucker as Troy's bright, grounded wife and Cameron Knight as Troy's beaten-down teenage son.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/20/DDIS11AJJQ.DTL
Scott Bradley's funky Pittsburgh Hill District set, lighting design by Dawn Chiang and Michael Keck's subtle and haunting music effectively complement the verbal fireworks.
Producing Organization: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
Theatre: Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
San Francisco, California
March 2008 - April 2008Director: Stanley E. Williams.
Designers: Set, Robert Broadfoot
Costumes, Rose Plant
Williams heightens the parallels to Arthur Miller's masterpiece with his staging of Troy's long speeches - reminiscences of hardships, tall tales of wrestling with Death, the terrible story of his father. Williams treats them like Miller's use of Loman's flashbacks and fantasies, to break up the realism. As each speech begins, Jacob Petrie's lights dim to an artificial dusk, isolating Troy in a hazy spotlight, with Morris standing downstage center, speaking directly to the audience.
It's a choice that separates Troy from the other characters, gives the speeches a slightly wearying uniformity and undermines the dramatic flow. "Fences" is firmly fixed in its time - as reflected in Robert Broadfoot's finely detailed backyard set and Rose Plant's period costumes - and much of its power derives from its specificity. Even Wilson's usual oddball shamanistic character is reduced, for that purpose, to the relatively minor role of Troy's brain-damaged war veteran brother (a sweetly childlike Hosea Simmons Sr.)http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/24/DDRUVMCPA.DTL
Acting is strong all-around, particularly when the long setup of the first act pays off explosively in the second, as consequences of Troy’s actions, both long ago and more recent, begin to reverberate among his loved ones.
Alex Morris (who appeared on TV’s “Malcolm in the Middle”) provides the show’s strong anchor, showcasing Troy’s conflicts and complexities, and how his pride has blinded him to the needs of others.
Elizabeth Carter as Troy’s wife Rose shines particularly at the show’s climax, as does Axel Alvin Jr. as their son Cory, who’s fenced in by Troy’s negativity about his future as an athlete. As Gabriel, Troy’s trumpet-playing brother whose war wounds had long-lasting mental effects, Hosea Simmons Jr. stands out
http://www.examiner.com/a-1302718~Review__Lorraine_Hansberry_Theatre_builds_strong__Fences_.html
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Statement
The setting of “Fences” by August Wilson takes place in Pittsburgh and specifically in the Hill district in 1957. This is the same district August Wilson himself grew up in and set the rest of his Pittsburgh cycle plays. The Hills is a collection of predominantly black neighborhoods and west of the downtown Pittsburgh. In the year 1957, many events affected the world of August Wilson’s “Fences”. Each event that happened within the year molded the attitudes of the inhabitants of Hill District.
An abandonment of dependence and practice of independence has a significant hold on characters like Troy, Cory and other characters within the play. Around this time a conglomerate of British colonies have declared their independence and are recognized as a country named Ghana. The fail attempt of France, Britain and Israel trying to take over Egypt sends a message out to Americans. An independent attitude is within the mist. There is a need for one to make ‘their own way’. This attitude finally trickles down to African Americans communities. Many Blacks were denied service by white owned businesses. Blacks attempted to seek assistance from White America only to be discriminated against. As result, Black owned businesses began to form and is kept within the Black community. Instead of asking for outside help, help was found within the community. Keeping business with the race formed stronger bonds within the community, which proves beneficial in the long run. Wilson touches upon this development with in the play.
During 1957, Dwight Eisenhower is the President of the United States of America. As a supporter of Brown versus the Topeka Board of Education, Eisenhower proposed Civil Rights Acts 1957 and 1960, which were later approved. During Eisenhower’s Presidency, Governor Orville Faubus of Arkansas calls the National Guard to prevent Black student from enrolling to Center High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This incident became known as the Little Rock Crisis. Thousands of Black Americans across the United States cried out at the ill treatment and lack of equality. At this time Black Americans had enough of the segregation and discrimination and challenged social structure. They refused to be silent and brought these grievances to America’s full attention. One figure served as the voice to the African Americans named Martin Luther King, Jr. His passive protest of the injustices upon the Black minorities became know not only nationwide but worldwide as well.
The Cold War continues and more missiles are made which results in more fallout shelters. Self-preservation takes hold of the majority of Americans. Not every moment is guaranteed and survival is the main goal. Combine the need to survive with the Hill district’s renewal urban projects and the collapse of the steel industry with the Cold War scare. The need to survive takes precedent and luxury and finer things in life fade away like a dream. Social status luxury is no longer important but working hard enough to put food on the table and providing a roof over one and his family’s head becomes the main goal.
Dreams aren’t always acquired. The need to escape the constant battle of paying the mortgage and being ‘the man of the house’ is met through many different hobbies. Hobbies such as the local lottery in the Hill called numbers. Many Blacks sought the get rich quick scheme and wasted their time and money. Others sought escape through Jazz music. Jazz wasn’t only a form of expression of the times but a way to keep people moving forward. The churches founded in the Hill community helped those in need and was very influential during hard times.
The Hill had a negro baseball team called the Pittsburgh Crawfords that played in the Negro Leagues. One of the baseball players on the team, Satchel Paige, eventually played for the Major Leagues. Blacks are finally being recognized within professional sports and black pride is reaffirmed.
Fighting for civil rights, striving for survival and defining independence are a few of things found within the world of “Fences”. These things influence the ideals and attitudes of the characters which steers their actions. The inner turmoil comes from their experiences within their past, present and what they believe is to come.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Micro View
1. Climate
2. National Negro League
The Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team also played here. The team, which played in the Negro National League, featured players such as Satchel Paige, Earl Hord, Josh Gibson, Jimmie Crutchfield and Cool Papa Bell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
African Americans play a signifcant role in revolutionizing sports. They went as far as breaking racial barriers of the Major Leagues.
3. Jazz
The Hill became a cultural hotspot. The Crawford Grill, still known for its outstanding jazz, has heard the music of greats like Lena Horne and George Benson.[2] Ramsey Lewis, Oscar Peterson, Cannonball Adderley and others often played at a jazz club called the old Hurricane Lounge.[3] According to WQED, "It was thriving, bustling, and safe--a center for music, art and literature."[1] The area housed jazz legends such as Stanley Turrentine and Art Blakey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
4. Urban Renewal Projects
One of the reasons for the decline of the Hill was an urban renewal project which tore down homes and businesses to make room for the Civic Arena. Public housing projects in the mid-1950s were intended to improve housing but became the centers of poor populations on welfare. Over 8,000 residents were displaced by the urban renewal project. Shifts in the steel and related industries caused a massive loss of industrial jobs in Pittsburgh. The decline of the steelmaking industry affected the entire region around Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania, and Eastern Ohio. The Hill district is merely a small part of the region; i. e., it followed the pattern that happened across the rust belt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
5. Pittsburgh Courier
a small neighborhood weekly newspaper and quickly became an important, nationally known paper. Self-taught photographer Teeny Harris took more than 80,000 pictures of black life in Pittsburgh.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
6. Churches/ Religion
The church was the real center of social life in the Hill. There was Ebenezer Baptist Church, John Wesley M. E. Zion, and Mother Bethel, the oldest congregation of color west of Alleghenies, and the site of many civil rights demonstrations, Warren United Methodist, Central, Monumental Baptist, St. Benedict the Moor, the first black catholic church in Pittsburgh. The priest says, "You came to the Church for everything–prayers on Sunday, dancing on Saturday, education, it was where you met your future spouse; picked the children that your kids played with, that's where you got guidance and advice; material help.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
7. Black Owned Businesses
Black businesses flourished on Wylie Avenue, partly because Blacks were often not welcome outside of the Hill.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
As a result, there is an attitude of individualism within the community which didn't call for assistance from non-colored businesses.
8. Numbers
Numbers were the unofficial lottery and bank system. Men who wrote the numbers became the Hills financial tycoons and folk heroes.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
Many unemployed African Americans sought out get rich quick schemes including playing at the lottery.
9. Economy
The Hill had to recover from the collapse of the steel industry which resulted in the renewal neighborhood program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh#Economy
10. Geography
Pittsburgh occupies the slopes of the river valley on the opposite side of the Monongahela and the ridges beyond. Many of the city's neighborhoods, particularly the city's North Side and those areas south of the Bungalow, are steeply sloped.This topography is often utilized for physical activity. The city has some 712 sets of stairs, comprising 44,645 treads and 24,090 vertical feet (more than San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Portland, Oregon combined) for pedestrians to traverse its many hills. With the drop of pedestrian traffic across much of the city, and the fact that many of these stairs are outside nuclear neighborhoods, many have fallen into disrepair, covered with vines and weeds. There are hundreds of 'paper streets' composed entirely of stairs and many other steep streets with stairs for sidewalks provide views of the Pittsburgh area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh#Geography
The layout of houses are greatly effected by the topography of Pittsburgh, the Hills District.
Pittsburgh has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) on the Koppen climate classification, because the average January temperature downtown just exceeds the 26.6°F (-3°C) threshold for inclusion in this category.[30] This climate zone is very broad and quite diverse, Pittsburgh features long, cold and snowy winters compared with cities such as Orlando, which only occasionally experiences even frost. Since Pittsburgh is at the northern extreme of the humid subtropical zone in the United States, its climate can be thought of as transitional between humid subtropical (Cfa) and humid continental (Dfa). The city's climate features abundant precipitation throughout the year and four defined seasons. While there are wide variations in seasonal temperature common to temperate climates, winters are somewhat moderated by both proximity to the Atlantic Ocean[citation needed] and low mountains that to some degree block the advance of cold air from the north. However, Pittsburgh's average winter temperatures are notably lower than that of Philadelphia. Overall, the city's climate features cold winters with snow, and warm, humid summers with frequent clouds and precipitation.
The climate of Pittsburgh has a direct correlation with households structure and maintaince of a house. It is seen as a higher priority compared to luxury household items. For example the roofing undergoes constant maintance from snow weather.
2. National Negro League
The Pittsburgh Crawfords baseball team also played here. The team, which played in the Negro National League, featured players such as Satchel Paige, Earl Hord, Josh Gibson, Jimmie Crutchfield and Cool Papa Bell.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
African Americans play a signifcant role in revolutionizing sports. They went as far as breaking racial barriers of the Major Leagues.
3. Jazz
The Hill became a cultural hotspot. The Crawford Grill, still known for its outstanding jazz, has heard the music of greats like Lena Horne and George Benson.[2] Ramsey Lewis, Oscar Peterson, Cannonball Adderley and others often played at a jazz club called the old Hurricane Lounge.[3] According to WQED, "It was thriving, bustling, and safe--a center for music, art and literature."[1] The area housed jazz legends such as Stanley Turrentine and Art Blakey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
Music is an integral part of the culture within the Hills. It allows people to express how they feel about the times and even provides an escape.
4. Urban Renewal Projects
One of the reasons for the decline of the Hill was an urban renewal project which tore down homes and businesses to make room for the Civic Arena. Public housing projects in the mid-1950s were intended to improve housing but became the centers of poor populations on welfare. Over 8,000 residents were displaced by the urban renewal project. Shifts in the steel and related industries caused a massive loss of industrial jobs in Pittsburgh. The decline of the steelmaking industry affected the entire region around Pittsburgh, Western Pennsylvania, and Eastern Ohio. The Hill district is merely a small part of the region; i. e., it followed the pattern that happened across the rust belt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_District_(Pittsburgh)
A lot of pride and history is found within the buildings and houses of the Hills District. Remodeling and changing affected the culture of the Hills district.
5. Pittsburgh Courier
a small neighborhood weekly newspaper and quickly became an important, nationally known paper. Self-taught photographer Teeny Harris took more than 80,000 pictures of black life in Pittsburgh.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
This newspaper kept the community up to date on events and proved the Hills to be a self-sufficent.
6. Churches/ Religion
The church was the real center of social life in the Hill. There was Ebenezer Baptist Church, John Wesley M. E. Zion, and Mother Bethel, the oldest congregation of color west of Alleghenies, and the site of many civil rights demonstrations, Warren United Methodist, Central, Monumental Baptist, St. Benedict the Moor, the first black catholic church in Pittsburgh. The priest says, "You came to the Church for everything–prayers on Sunday, dancing on Saturday, education, it was where you met your future spouse; picked the children that your kids played with, that's where you got guidance and advice; material help.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
The Hills has a strong influences from the Church.
7. Black Owned Businesses
Black businesses flourished on Wylie Avenue, partly because Blacks were often not welcome outside of the Hill.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
As a result, there is an attitude of individualism within the community which didn't call for assistance from non-colored businesses.
8. Numbers
Numbers were the unofficial lottery and bank system. Men who wrote the numbers became the Hills financial tycoons and folk heroes.
http://www.wqed.org/education/pghist/logs/wylie.shtml
Many unemployed African Americans sought out get rich quick schemes including playing at the lottery.
9. Economy
The Hill had to recover from the collapse of the steel industry which resulted in the renewal neighborhood program.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh#Economy
Many jobs were lost from the collapse of the steel industy. Workers had to find other means to provide for their families which was already difficult to do.
10. Geography
Pittsburgh occupies the slopes of the river valley on the opposite side of the Monongahela and the ridges beyond. Many of the city's neighborhoods, particularly the city's North Side and those areas south of the Bungalow, are steeply sloped.This topography is often utilized for physical activity. The city has some 712 sets of stairs, comprising 44,645 treads and 24,090 vertical feet (more than San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Portland, Oregon combined) for pedestrians to traverse its many hills. With the drop of pedestrian traffic across much of the city, and the fact that many of these stairs are outside nuclear neighborhoods, many have fallen into disrepair, covered with vines and weeds. There are hundreds of 'paper streets' composed entirely of stairs and many other steep streets with stairs for sidewalks provide views of the Pittsburgh area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh#Geography
The layout of houses are greatly effected by the topography of Pittsburgh, the Hills District.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Images
Pittsburgh Courier
Painting of The Hill
The Capitols
The Capris
Drummer of Jazz Band
Jazz Entertainment
The Pittsburgh Crawfords
Kids playing in the Neighboorhood
The Neighborhood
Parade in the The Hills District
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Macro View
1. Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower#Interstate_Highway_System
Eisenhower supported civil rights and proposed Civil Rights Acts 1957 and 1960 which white
Americans did not adhere to. Segregation and discrimination continued which further angered African American populations across the U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957#January
African Americans everywhere are angered at the ill treatment of black students being denied their eduacation and question the strength of their government.
3. Cold War
In the United States, the Gaither Report calls for more American missiles and fallout shelters.
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter space - a dog named Laika.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957#January
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
Americans of all races felt unsafe within their own country but especially comes double for Blacks. They aren't safe in domestic or foriegn affairs.
4. South Vietnam
South Vietnam attacked by Viet Cong Guerrillas
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
This started another war and black soldiers are skeptical of fighting for a country that doesn't even respect them when they come home to America.
5. Martin Luther King Jr
heads nationwide resistance to racial segregation and discrimination in the US
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
King is seen as living hope for all African Americans everywhere and encourages Blacks to protest peacefully.
6. Suez Crisis
a military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel beginning on 29 October 1956.[4][5] The attack followed Egypt's decision of 26 July 1956 to nationalize the Suez Canal, after the withdrawal of an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of the Aswan Dam, which was in response to Egypt recognizing the People's Republic of China during the height of tensions between China and Taiwana military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel beginning on 29 October 1956.[4][5] The attack followed Egypt's decision of 26 July 1956 to nationalize the Suez Canal, after the withdrawal of an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of the Aswan Dam, which was in response to Egypt recognizing the People's Republic of China during the height of tensions between China and Taiwan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis
eventually the Suez Canal is reopened.
http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1957.HTML
Initailizes the end of Colonialism and brings forth indiviualism of countries across the world.
7. $0.14 in the year 1957 has the same "purchase power" as $1 in the year 2007.
http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/result.php
Money has a higher value and isn't recklessly thrown around.
8. Jackie Robinson
the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era, retires rather than move across town from the Dodgers to the Giants, to whom he had been traded in December.
This baseball player represented hope for African Americans across the U.S. and made dreams a reality. His retirement isn't' the end but the beginning for other non-white baseball players.
9. British Colonies declaring independence
The former British African colonies of the Gold Coast and Togoland became the independent state of Ghana. Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, gained independence from Britain. US VP Nixon and Martin Luther King attended the independence ceremony.
https://ww2.shsu.edu/usrv02wp/assistants/daily_lab_schedule.php
Independence is being discovered and represented in different countries across the world.
10. Hurricane Disaster
Hurricane Audrey demolishes Cameron, Louisiana, killing 400 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957
People have to be relocated and have to rebuild. This really shook America because homes are very valuable around this time and are seen as something pernament.
Eisenhower supported civil rights and proposed Civil Rights Acts 1957 and 1960 which white
Americans did not adhere to. Segregation and discrimination continued which further angered African American populations across the U.S.
African Americans finding hope in the future of being treated equally within the United States of America and the end of segregation and discrimiantion.
2. Little Rock Crisis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957#January
African Americans everywhere are angered at the ill treatment of black students being denied their eduacation and question the strength of their government.
3. Cold War
In the United States, the Gaither Report calls for more American missiles and fallout shelters.
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter space - a dog named Laika.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957#January
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
Americans of all races felt unsafe within their own country but especially comes double for Blacks. They aren't safe in domestic or foriegn affairs.
4. South Vietnam
South Vietnam attacked by Viet Cong Guerrillas
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
This started another war and black soldiers are skeptical of fighting for a country that doesn't even respect them when they come home to America.
5. Martin Luther King Jr
heads nationwide resistance to racial segregation and discrimination in the US
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1957.html
King is seen as living hope for all African Americans everywhere and encourages Blacks to protest peacefully.
6. Suez Crisis
a military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel beginning on 29 October 1956.[4][5] The attack followed Egypt's decision of 26 July 1956 to nationalize the Suez Canal, after the withdrawal of an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of the Aswan Dam, which was in response to Egypt recognizing the People's Republic of China during the height of tensions between China and Taiwana military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel beginning on 29 October 1956.[4][5] The attack followed Egypt's decision of 26 July 1956 to nationalize the Suez Canal, after the withdrawal of an offer by Britain and the United States to fund the building of the Aswan Dam, which was in response to Egypt recognizing the People's Republic of China during the height of tensions between China and Taiwan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis
eventually the Suez Canal is reopened.
http://timelines.ws/20thcent/1957.HTML
Initailizes the end of Colonialism and brings forth indiviualism of countries across the world.
7. $0.14 in the year 1957 has the same "purchase power" as $1 in the year 2007.
http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/result.php
Money has a higher value and isn't recklessly thrown around.
8. Jackie Robinson
the first African-American Major League Baseball player of the modern era, retires rather than move across town from the Dodgers to the Giants, to whom he had been traded in December.
This baseball player represented hope for African Americans across the U.S. and made dreams a reality. His retirement isn't' the end but the beginning for other non-white baseball players.
9. British Colonies declaring independence
The former British African colonies of the Gold Coast and Togoland became the independent state of Ghana. Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, gained independence from Britain. US VP Nixon and Martin Luther King attended the independence ceremony.
https://ww2.shsu.edu/usrv02wp/assistants/daily_lab_schedule.php
Independence is being discovered and represented in different countries across the world.
10. Hurricane Disaster
Hurricane Audrey demolishes Cameron, Louisiana, killing 400 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957
People have to be relocated and have to rebuild. This really shook America because homes are very valuable around this time and are seen as something pernament.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Non Traditional Casting
The race of the characters of August Wilson’s “Fences” has a significant impact on the show. Initially, adhering to the playwright’s intent appears to be the best and only choice and not respecting those boundaries could ruin the themes of the play itself. The script focus on the struggles of African Americans and how they cope with their struggles. Therefore, non traditional casting is unacceptable. However, casting the production with another minority race, besides African American, could still capture the essence of the play. Casting an all Latino, an all East Asian or an all Middle Eastern would allow the audience to see different perspective. African Americans weren’t the only race that had to deal with racism and discrimination within that time period. All minority races have experienced what it’s like to approach life with expectations that they will be treated equally only to have those dreams shattered by the cultural restrictions.
Another aspect considered for non traditional casting is casting Troy’s other children, Lyons and Raynell as biracial. It would emphasis the lack of blood relation to Rose but also strengthen the emotional and spiritual connection between her, Lyons and Raynell. It would emphasis Rose’s love and acceptance of them despite them not being her own but treating them as her own. This type of casting would send a message out to the audience that love transcends race and that there is hope. In contrast, the message and themes of the play would be lost if the play had an all white cast. An example is the constant use of the word “nigger”. Even though it is used unsparingly in the play, the thought of white actors saying that word would take the audience of the play because of how sensitive our culture is to racism these days. There would have to be serious alterations of the script which results in the script losing it’s meaning. The intent and message would be lost. The audience wouldn’t be as accepting and could possible come across as mocking and offensive. Fences is a play about race and specifically about blacks and how their treatment out in the white American world affects them mentally, spiritually, emotionally and domestically. Casting non race specific would ruin the message the play is trying to send out.
Making the cast all male, all female or mixed gender (swaping genders of certain characters) is another way to give other actors opportunities and challenges portraying these characters despite their gender. However, if the cast can play the characters well enough then it wouldn’t be a serious issues. Casting characters with physical disabilities wouldn’t take away from the play. One question will the audience be able to see pass the physical disabilities and depending on the disability will the blocking be changed. What choices will the director make that will overcome the obstacles that an actor with a physical disability would experience. There are many things to consider when doing non traditional casting. However, not all these things could be met and a director could do the best they can.
Another aspect considered for non traditional casting is casting Troy’s other children, Lyons and Raynell as biracial. It would emphasis the lack of blood relation to Rose but also strengthen the emotional and spiritual connection between her, Lyons and Raynell. It would emphasis Rose’s love and acceptance of them despite them not being her own but treating them as her own. This type of casting would send a message out to the audience that love transcends race and that there is hope. In contrast, the message and themes of the play would be lost if the play had an all white cast. An example is the constant use of the word “nigger”. Even though it is used unsparingly in the play, the thought of white actors saying that word would take the audience of the play because of how sensitive our culture is to racism these days. There would have to be serious alterations of the script which results in the script losing it’s meaning. The intent and message would be lost. The audience wouldn’t be as accepting and could possible come across as mocking and offensive. Fences is a play about race and specifically about blacks and how their treatment out in the white American world affects them mentally, spiritually, emotionally and domestically. Casting non race specific would ruin the message the play is trying to send out.
Making the cast all male, all female or mixed gender (swaping genders of certain characters) is another way to give other actors opportunities and challenges portraying these characters despite their gender. However, if the cast can play the characters well enough then it wouldn’t be a serious issues. Casting characters with physical disabilities wouldn’t take away from the play. One question will the audience be able to see pass the physical disabilities and depending on the disability will the blocking be changed. What choices will the director make that will overcome the obstacles that an actor with a physical disability would experience. There are many things to consider when doing non traditional casting. However, not all these things could be met and a director could do the best they can.
Fable with Plot Summary
Fable
The begins with a black man named Troy Maxson talking about the lack of equal treatment at his job, with his friend Bono. Rose, Troy's wife, enters telling him dinner is ready. They have been married for 17 and have a 17 year son named Cory. Rose reminds Troy that a recruiter is coming to watch Cory play football. Troy is not to crazy about this and refuses to talk to the recruiter and believes Cory is wasting his time. Troy talks about his experience in baseball and how he was never given a chance. Bono eventually leaves but Lyons, enters asking his dad, Troy, if he could borrow money. Lyons is from a previous marriage. Troy always gives him a hard time for not finding a better job. Troy eventually gives Lyons the money. Lyons leaves and Gabriel, Troy's brother, comes in. Gabriel suffered an injury from WWII that made him believe he his the Archangel Gabriel. Troy takes care of him and pays for his rent. Gabriel leaves to chase away some hellhounds. Cory finally makes his appearance and Troy gets on his case about taking less hours at his job and going to football practice. They don't see eye to eye. Troy tells Cory some stories about his rough childhood with his father who had different women who left him. Later on, Troy gets promoted at his job and Bono congratulates him. However, Bono calls Troy out on seeing another woman and that Rose is a good woman who doesn't deserve to be hurt. The play takes a turn for the worst when Troy tell Rose that he got another woman pregnant and has no intention of leaving her and the child. Rose is hurt, furious and sad. She tell him to choose her or the other woman and that he can't have both. The heated conversation gets out of hand which result in Cory protecting his mother from his father. As a result., the damaged relationship father son only gets worse. Six months later Rose gets a phone call that the other woman, Alberta, died while giving birth to the child. Troy is in complete shock and leaves to go get he child and comes with the child asking Rose to raise the child. Rose agrees to take care of the child but tells him he doesn't have a wife anymore. Years pass by and Rose and Raynell, Troy's child, and others are getting ready to attend a funeral. Troy's funeral. Cory shows up after having a fall out with his father, Troy. He tells his mother, Rose, that he isn't going to the funeral and is tired of dealing with his father's shadow. Rose pretty much says you have your father in you but you don't have to be like him and the play ends with Gabriel blowing the horn.
Plot summary
Fences is divided into two acts. Act One is comprised of four scenes and Act Two has five. The play begins on a Friday, Troy and Bono's payday. Troy and Bono go to Troy's house for their weekly ritual of drinking and talking. Troy has asked Mr. Rand, their boss, why the black employees aren't allowed to drive the garbage trucks, only to lift the garbage. Bono thinks Troy is cheating on his wife, Rose. Troy and Rose's son, Cory, has been recruited by a college football team. Troy was in the Negro Leagues but never got a chance to play in the Major Leagues because he got too old to play just as the Major Leagues began accepting black players. Troy goes into a long epic story about his struggle in July of 1943 with death. Lyons shows up at the house because he knows it is Troy's payday. Rose reminds Troy about the fence she's asked him to finish building.Cory and Troy work on the fence. Cory breaks the news to Troy that he has given away his job at the local grocery store, the A&P, during the football season. Cory begs Troy to let him play because a coach from North Carolina is coming all the way to Pittsburgh to see Cory play. Troy refuses and demands Cory to get his job back. Act One, scene four takes place on Friday and mirrors scene one. Troy has won his case and has been assigned as the first colored garbage truck driver in the city. Bono and Troy remember their fathers and their childhood experiences of leaving home in the south and moving north. Cory comes home enraged after finding out that Troy told the football coach that Cory may not play on the team. Troy warns Cory that his insubordinance is "strike one," against him.
Troy bails his brother Gabriel out of jail. Bono and Troy work on the fence. Bono explains to Troy and Cory that Rose wants the fence because she loves her family and wants to keep close to her love. Troy admits to Bono that he is having an affair with Alberta. Bono bets Troy that if he finishes building the fence for Rose, Bono will buy his wife, Lucille the refrigerator he has promised her for a long time. Troy tells Rose about a hearing in three weeks to determine whether or not Gabriel should be recommitted to an asylum. Troy tells Rose about his affair. Rose accuses Troy of taking and not giving. Troy grabs Rose's arm. Cory grabs Troy from behind. They fight and Troy wins. Troy calls "strike two" on Cory. Six months later, Troy says he is going over to the hospital to see Alberta who went into labor early. Rose tells Troy that Gabriel has been taken away to the asylum because Troy couldn't read the papers and signed him away. Alberta had a baby girl but died during childbirth. Troy challenges Death to come and get him after he builds a fence. Troy brings home his baby, Raynell. Rose takes in Raynell as her own child, but refuses to be dutiful as Troy's wife. On Troy's payday, Bono shows up unexpectedly. Troy and Bono acknowledge how each man made good on his bet about the fence and the refrigerator. Troy insists that Cory leave the house and provide for himself. Cory brings up Troy's recent failings with Rose. Cory points out that the house and property, from which Troy is throwing Cory out, should actually be owned by Gabriel whose government checks paid for most of the mortgage payments. Troy physically attacks Cory. Troy kicks Cory out of the house for good. Cory leaves. Troy swings the baseball bat in the air, taunting Death.
Eight years later, Raynell plays in her newly planted garden. Troy has died from a heart attack. Cory returns home from the Marines to attend Troy's funeral. Lyons and Bono join Rose too. Cory refuses to attend. Rose teaches Cory that not attending Troy's funeral does not make Cory a man. Raynell and Cory sing one of Troy's father's blues songs. Gabriel turns up, released or escaped from the mental hospital. Gabe blows his trumpet but no sound comes out. He tries again but the trumpet will not play. Disappointed and hurt, Gabriel dances. He makes a cry and the Heavens open wide. He says, "That's the way that goes," and the play ends.
http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/fences/summary.html
The begins with a black man named Troy Maxson talking about the lack of equal treatment at his job, with his friend Bono. Rose, Troy's wife, enters telling him dinner is ready. They have been married for 17 and have a 17 year son named Cory. Rose reminds Troy that a recruiter is coming to watch Cory play football. Troy is not to crazy about this and refuses to talk to the recruiter and believes Cory is wasting his time. Troy talks about his experience in baseball and how he was never given a chance. Bono eventually leaves but Lyons, enters asking his dad, Troy, if he could borrow money. Lyons is from a previous marriage. Troy always gives him a hard time for not finding a better job. Troy eventually gives Lyons the money. Lyons leaves and Gabriel, Troy's brother, comes in. Gabriel suffered an injury from WWII that made him believe he his the Archangel Gabriel. Troy takes care of him and pays for his rent. Gabriel leaves to chase away some hellhounds. Cory finally makes his appearance and Troy gets on his case about taking less hours at his job and going to football practice. They don't see eye to eye. Troy tells Cory some stories about his rough childhood with his father who had different women who left him. Later on, Troy gets promoted at his job and Bono congratulates him. However, Bono calls Troy out on seeing another woman and that Rose is a good woman who doesn't deserve to be hurt. The play takes a turn for the worst when Troy tell Rose that he got another woman pregnant and has no intention of leaving her and the child. Rose is hurt, furious and sad. She tell him to choose her or the other woman and that he can't have both. The heated conversation gets out of hand which result in Cory protecting his mother from his father. As a result., the damaged relationship father son only gets worse. Six months later Rose gets a phone call that the other woman, Alberta, died while giving birth to the child. Troy is in complete shock and leaves to go get he child and comes with the child asking Rose to raise the child. Rose agrees to take care of the child but tells him he doesn't have a wife anymore. Years pass by and Rose and Raynell, Troy's child, and others are getting ready to attend a funeral. Troy's funeral. Cory shows up after having a fall out with his father, Troy. He tells his mother, Rose, that he isn't going to the funeral and is tired of dealing with his father's shadow. Rose pretty much says you have your father in you but you don't have to be like him and the play ends with Gabriel blowing the horn.
Plot summary
Fences is divided into two acts. Act One is comprised of four scenes and Act Two has five. The play begins on a Friday, Troy and Bono's payday. Troy and Bono go to Troy's house for their weekly ritual of drinking and talking. Troy has asked Mr. Rand, their boss, why the black employees aren't allowed to drive the garbage trucks, only to lift the garbage. Bono thinks Troy is cheating on his wife, Rose. Troy and Rose's son, Cory, has been recruited by a college football team. Troy was in the Negro Leagues but never got a chance to play in the Major Leagues because he got too old to play just as the Major Leagues began accepting black players. Troy goes into a long epic story about his struggle in July of 1943 with death. Lyons shows up at the house because he knows it is Troy's payday. Rose reminds Troy about the fence she's asked him to finish building.Cory and Troy work on the fence. Cory breaks the news to Troy that he has given away his job at the local grocery store, the A&P, during the football season. Cory begs Troy to let him play because a coach from North Carolina is coming all the way to Pittsburgh to see Cory play. Troy refuses and demands Cory to get his job back. Act One, scene four takes place on Friday and mirrors scene one. Troy has won his case and has been assigned as the first colored garbage truck driver in the city. Bono and Troy remember their fathers and their childhood experiences of leaving home in the south and moving north. Cory comes home enraged after finding out that Troy told the football coach that Cory may not play on the team. Troy warns Cory that his insubordinance is "strike one," against him.
Troy bails his brother Gabriel out of jail. Bono and Troy work on the fence. Bono explains to Troy and Cory that Rose wants the fence because she loves her family and wants to keep close to her love. Troy admits to Bono that he is having an affair with Alberta. Bono bets Troy that if he finishes building the fence for Rose, Bono will buy his wife, Lucille the refrigerator he has promised her for a long time. Troy tells Rose about a hearing in three weeks to determine whether or not Gabriel should be recommitted to an asylum. Troy tells Rose about his affair. Rose accuses Troy of taking and not giving. Troy grabs Rose's arm. Cory grabs Troy from behind. They fight and Troy wins. Troy calls "strike two" on Cory. Six months later, Troy says he is going over to the hospital to see Alberta who went into labor early. Rose tells Troy that Gabriel has been taken away to the asylum because Troy couldn't read the papers and signed him away. Alberta had a baby girl but died during childbirth. Troy challenges Death to come and get him after he builds a fence. Troy brings home his baby, Raynell. Rose takes in Raynell as her own child, but refuses to be dutiful as Troy's wife. On Troy's payday, Bono shows up unexpectedly. Troy and Bono acknowledge how each man made good on his bet about the fence and the refrigerator. Troy insists that Cory leave the house and provide for himself. Cory brings up Troy's recent failings with Rose. Cory points out that the house and property, from which Troy is throwing Cory out, should actually be owned by Gabriel whose government checks paid for most of the mortgage payments. Troy physically attacks Cory. Troy kicks Cory out of the house for good. Cory leaves. Troy swings the baseball bat in the air, taunting Death.
Eight years later, Raynell plays in her newly planted garden. Troy has died from a heart attack. Cory returns home from the Marines to attend Troy's funeral. Lyons and Bono join Rose too. Cory refuses to attend. Rose teaches Cory that not attending Troy's funeral does not make Cory a man. Raynell and Cory sing one of Troy's father's blues songs. Gabriel turns up, released or escaped from the mental hospital. Gabe blows his trumpet but no sound comes out. He tries again but the trumpet will not play. Disappointed and hurt, Gabriel dances. He makes a cry and the Heavens open wide. He says, "That's the way that goes," and the play ends.
http://www.sparknotes.com/drama/fences/summary.html
Characters
Men
TROY MAXSON is a fifty-three years old, a large man and is talkative compared to Bono. He can be crude and almost vulgar, though he is capable of rising to profound heights of expression.
JIM BONO has a friendship with Troy of thirty years. He's the follower and admires Troy for his honesy, capacity for hard work and strength which he seeks to emulate.
LYONS is Troy's 34 year old son from a previous marriage. He a musician and usually comes to borrow money from Troy.GABRIEL is Troy's brother who is seven years younger than him. He has a metal plate in his head from WW II and thinks he is Archangel Gabriel. Troy takes care of him.
CORY is Troy and Rose's son. He wants to play football and strives to not be like his father.
Women
ROSE is Troy's wife who is ten years younger than him. She is devoted to Troy and forgives his faults, only some of which she recognizes.
RAYNELL is Troy and Alberta's daughter, seven years old.
TROY MAXSON is a fifty-three years old, a large man and is talkative compared to Bono. He can be crude and almost vulgar, though he is capable of rising to profound heights of expression.
JIM BONO has a friendship with Troy of thirty years. He's the follower and admires Troy for his honesy, capacity for hard work and strength which he seeks to emulate.
LYONS is Troy's 34 year old son from a previous marriage. He a musician and usually comes to borrow money from Troy.GABRIEL is Troy's brother who is seven years younger than him. He has a metal plate in his head from WW II and thinks he is Archangel Gabriel. Troy takes care of him.
CORY is Troy and Rose's son. He wants to play football and strives to not be like his father.
Women
ROSE is Troy's wife who is ten years younger than him. She is devoted to Troy and forgives his faults, only some of which she recognizes.
RAYNELL is Troy and Alberta's daughter, seven years old.
Exegesis
pg. 5"But Lucille say she cooking up a pot of pigfeet"
a food preparation associated with African American soul food and Southern country cuisine, as well as German and Irish cuisine. However pigs feet are not always pickled. Often they are cooked in vinegar and water to preserve their natural flavor. In Ireland they are known as crubeens or crúibíní. In this preparation, the feet of hogs are salted and smoked in the same manner as other pork cuts, such as hams and bacon, and can be prepared. They are then placed in tall glass jars and covered with a solution of hot brine containing vinegar, much in the manner of pickled vegetables such as cucumbers. This method allows them to be preserved without any need for refrigeration until the jar is opened. Pickled pigs feet are usually consumed as something of a snack or a delicacy rather than as the primary focus of a meal as its meat course, although this is not a universal rule. If proper refrigeration is available, any unused portion can be kept in the jar for several days after it is opened. Often they will be consumed with crackers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_pigs_feet
pg. 6"Okay, baby...but I'm gonna buy me a banty rooster and put him out there in the backyard..."
Banty is short for Bantam. The old folks back in the day just always call Bantam Roosters, "banty" roosters. Bantams are about 1/4 the size of what is considered a "regular" chicken. They are sometimes referred to as domestic game birds. Most people raise them as pets, unfortunately there are those who still raise and use them to fight.In addition this term is used to describe the behavior of some short men who may tend to walk with a swagger and adopt a somewhat exaggerated male posture. They are called banty roosters after the bantam rooster both because of their size and because their behavior can "out-rooster" the more standard sized rooster.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_banty_rooster
pg.9 "That's Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson. Them's the only two men hit more home runs than you. "
Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American catcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946. In 1937 he played for Ciudad Trujillo in Trujillo's Dominican League and from 1940 to 1941 he played in the Mexican League for Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz. He stood 6-foot-1 (185 cm) and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg) at the peak of his career.[1] Baseball historians consider Gibson to be among the very best catchers and power hitters in the history of any league, including the Major Leagues, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Gibson was known as the "black Babe Ruth."[2] (In fact, Gibson was so good, many fans at the time who saw both Gibson and Ruth play called Ruth "the white Josh Gibson.") [3] He never played in Major League Baseball because, under their unwritten "gentleman's agreement" policy, they excluded non-whites during his lifetime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gibson
pg.14 "I'll be damned! I'll die and go to hell and play blackjack with the devil beforeI give you ten dollars"
the equivalent amount of goods, in a particular year, that could be purchased with $1 would be $3.42. The value of the dollar decreases as when when the years get closer to the 21ist century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_currency#Consumer_Price_Index
pg.34 "The Braves got Hank Aaron and Wes Covington."
(born February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama), is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball (MLB) career spanned from 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Hank Aaron 5th on their list of "Greatest Baseball Players." After playing with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League and in the minor leagues, Aaron started his Major League Baseball career in 1954. He played 21 seasons with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves in the National League, and his last two years (1975–76) with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League. In his career, Aaron had many accomplishments and set many records. His most notable achievement was setting the MLB record for most career home runs with 755, which he held for 33 years until being surpassed by San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on August 7, 2007. During his professional career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least 15 times.[1] He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits.[2] Aaron made the All-Star team every year from 1955 until 1975[3] and won three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. In 1957 he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, while that same year, the Braves won the World Series. It was Aaron's one World Series victory during his career as a player. Aaron's consistency helped him to establish a number of important hitting records during his 23-year career. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (2,297), the most career extra base hits (1,477), and the most career total bases (6,856). He is also in the top five for career hits with 3,771 (3rd) and runs with 2,174 (tied for 4th with Babe Ruth). He also is in second place in at-bats (12,364), and in third place in games (3,298). Aaron's nicknames include "Hammer," "Hammerin' Hank,” and "Bad Henry”. To honor Aaron's contributions to Major League Baseball, MLB created the Hank Aaron Award, an annual award given to the hitters voted the most effective in each respective league. He is the last Negro league baseball player to play in the major leagues.[4] He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, his first year of eligibility. That same year, baseball fans named Aaron to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Hank Aaron on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Aaron
pg.34 "The Braves got Hank Aaron and Wes Covington."
(born March 27, 1932 in Laurinburg, North Carolina) was a Major League Baseball player for the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1956 to 1966. Covington is one of a handful of players to have played for four different teams in one season when he accomplished this feat in 1961. His best season came in 1958 with the Braves when he hit 24 home runs, had 74 Runs Batted In and hit for a .330 batting average. He played his last game of his career with the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Covington
pg.34 "I hit seven home runs off of Satchel Paige."
(July 7, 1906[1]– June 8, 1982) was an American baseball player whose pitching in several different Negro Leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime. Paige was a right-handed pitcher and was the oldest rookie to play Major League Baseball. He played with the St. Louis Browns around the age of fifty and represented them in the Major League All-Star Game in both 1952 and 1953. His professional playing career lasted from the mid-1920s until 1965.[2] In 1971, Paige was the first player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame from the Negro Leagues.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satchel_Paige
pg.34 "Sandy Koufax. He's leading the league in strikeouts."
pronounced /ˈkoʊfæks/) (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935) is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, from 1955 to 1966. Koufax's career peaked with a run of six outstanding seasons from 1961 to 1966, before arthritis ended his career at age 30. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1963. He also won the 1963, 1965, and 1966 Cy Young Awards by unanimous votes, all during the period when only one pitcher was chosen per season, making him the first 3-time Cy Young winner in baseball history. In each of his Cy Young seasons, Koufax won the pitcher's triple crown by leading the NL in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. Koufax's totals would also have led the American League in those seasons.[1][2] Koufax was the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters (including a perfect game). Despite his comparatively short career, Koufax's 2,396 career strikeouts ranked 7th in history as of his retirement, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers. Retiring at the peak of his career, he became, at age 36 and 20 days, the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.[3] Koufax is also remembered as one of the outstanding Jewish athletes in American sport. His decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur garnered national attention as an example of conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Koufax
pg.34 "I bet you couldn't hit no home runs off of Warren Spahn"
(April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 21 seasons, all in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was aged 42. Spahn was the 1957 Cy Young Award winner, and was the runner-up three times, all during the period when just one award was given. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, with 83% of the total vote. (His eligibility was delayed, under the rules of the time by 2 years of token minor league play). Spahn was regarded as a "thinking man's" pitcher who liked to outwit batters. He once described his approach on the mound: "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing." Spahn won more games (363) than any other left-handed pitcher in history, and more than any other pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era. He is acknowledged as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball history. The Warren Spahn Award, given to the major leagues' best left-handed pitcher, is named after him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Spahn
pg.34 "You got Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette."
(November 22, 1926 – February 6, 2007) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. The team's top right-hander during its years in Milwaukee, he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1957 World Series, leading the franchise to its first championship in 43 years, and the only title in Milwaukee history. An outstanding control pitcher, his career average of 1.84 walks per nine innings pitched places him behind only Robin Roberts (1.73), Carl Hubbell (1.82) and Juan Marichal (1.82) among pitchers with at least 3000 innings since 1920. Born in Nitro, West Virginia, Burdette was signed by the New York Yankees in 1947, and after making two relief appearances for the team in September 1950, he was traded to the Braves in August 1951 for four-time 20-game winner Johnny Sain. Along with left-hander Warren Spahn and hardworking Bob Buhl, he gave the Braves one of the best starting rotations in the majors during the 1950s, winning 15 or more games eight times between 1953 and 1961. When Milwaukee won the 1957 World Series against the Yankees, Burdette became the first pitcher in 37 years to win three complete games in a Series, and the first since Christy Mathewson in 1905 to pitch two shutouts (Games 5 and 7). In the 1958 Series, however, the Yankees defeated Burdette twice in three starts. In addition to winning 20 games in 1958 and 21 in 1959, Burdette won 19 in 1956 and 1960, 18 in 1961, and 17 in 1957. In two All-Star games, he allowed only one run in seven innings pitched, and in 1956 he topped National League pitchers with a 2.70 earned run average. He also led the NL in shutouts twice, and in wins, innings and complete games once each. Burdette was the winning pitcher on May 26, 1959 when the Pittsburgh Pirates' Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game against the Braves for 12 innings, only to lose in the 13th. Burdette threw a 1-0 shutout, scattering 12 hits. In the ensuing offseason, he joked, "I'm the greatest pitcher that ever lived. The greatest game that was ever pitched in baseball wasn't good enough to beat me, so I've got to be the greatest!" The next year, facing the minimum 27 batters, Burdette pitched a 1–0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 1960. Tony González, the only opposing batter to reach base after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, was retired on a double play. Burdette helped himself by scoring the only run of the game. Following up his no-hitter, five days later he pitched his third shutout in a row. As a hitter, he compiled a .183 batting average with 75 RBI and 12 home runs; his first two home runs came in the same 1957 game, and he later had two more two-homer games. In 1963 Burdette was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals (1963-64), and was later sent to the Chicago Cubs (1964-65) and Phillies (1965). Signing with the California Angels, he pitched exclusively in relief for the team in 1966-67 before retiring. In an 18-year career, Burdette posted a 203-144 record with 1074 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 3067.1 innings, compiling 158 complete games and 33 shutouts. His totals of wins, games and innings with the Braves ranked behind only Spahn and Kid Nichols in franchise history. Burdette was often rumored as having thrown spitballs, leading to New York Times sportswriter Red Smith writing that "There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity." Burdette also cut a record in the 1950s entitled "Three Strikes and Then You're Out". Burdette died of lung cancer at age 80 at his home in Winter Garden, Florida.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Burdette
pg.61"Big old strong boy. Look like Joe Louis. "
(May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis helped elevate boxing out of a nadir in popularity in the post-Jack Dempsey era by establishing a reputation as an honest, hardworking fighter at a time when the sport was dominated by gambling interests.[1][2] Louis' championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months, during which he participated in 27 championship fights, including 25 successful title defenses – all records for the heavyweight division. In 2005, Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization,[3] and was ranked number one on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Louis' cultural impact was felt well outside the ring. Louis is widely regarded as the first African American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II.[4] He also was instrumental in integrating the game of golf, breaking the sport's color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor's exemption in a PGA event in 1952.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis
a food preparation associated with African American soul food and Southern country cuisine, as well as German and Irish cuisine. However pigs feet are not always pickled. Often they are cooked in vinegar and water to preserve their natural flavor. In Ireland they are known as crubeens or crúibíní. In this preparation, the feet of hogs are salted and smoked in the same manner as other pork cuts, such as hams and bacon, and can be prepared. They are then placed in tall glass jars and covered with a solution of hot brine containing vinegar, much in the manner of pickled vegetables such as cucumbers. This method allows them to be preserved without any need for refrigeration until the jar is opened. Pickled pigs feet are usually consumed as something of a snack or a delicacy rather than as the primary focus of a meal as its meat course, although this is not a universal rule. If proper refrigeration is available, any unused portion can be kept in the jar for several days after it is opened. Often they will be consumed with crackers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_pigs_feet
pg. 6"Okay, baby...but I'm gonna buy me a banty rooster and put him out there in the backyard..."
Banty is short for Bantam. The old folks back in the day just always call Bantam Roosters, "banty" roosters. Bantams are about 1/4 the size of what is considered a "regular" chicken. They are sometimes referred to as domestic game birds. Most people raise them as pets, unfortunately there are those who still raise and use them to fight.In addition this term is used to describe the behavior of some short men who may tend to walk with a swagger and adopt a somewhat exaggerated male posture. They are called banty roosters after the bantam rooster both because of their size and because their behavior can "out-rooster" the more standard sized rooster.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_banty_rooster
pg.9 "That's Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson. Them's the only two men hit more home runs than you. "
Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American catcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946. In 1937 he played for Ciudad Trujillo in Trujillo's Dominican League and from 1940 to 1941 he played in the Mexican League for Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz. He stood 6-foot-1 (185 cm) and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg) at the peak of his career.[1] Baseball historians consider Gibson to be among the very best catchers and power hitters in the history of any league, including the Major Leagues, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Gibson was known as the "black Babe Ruth."[2] (In fact, Gibson was so good, many fans at the time who saw both Gibson and Ruth play called Ruth "the white Josh Gibson.") [3] He never played in Major League Baseball because, under their unwritten "gentleman's agreement" policy, they excluded non-whites during his lifetime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Gibson
pg.14 "I'll be damned! I'll die and go to hell and play blackjack with the devil beforeI give you ten dollars"
the equivalent amount of goods, in a particular year, that could be purchased with $1 would be $3.42. The value of the dollar decreases as when when the years get closer to the 21ist century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Us_currency#Consumer_Price_Index
pg.34 "The Braves got Hank Aaron and Wes Covington."
(born February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama), is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball (MLB) career spanned from 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Hank Aaron 5th on their list of "Greatest Baseball Players." After playing with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League and in the minor leagues, Aaron started his Major League Baseball career in 1954. He played 21 seasons with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves in the National League, and his last two years (1975–76) with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League. In his career, Aaron had many accomplishments and set many records. His most notable achievement was setting the MLB record for most career home runs with 755, which he held for 33 years until being surpassed by San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds on August 7, 2007. During his professional career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least 15 times.[1] He is one of only four players to have at least 17 seasons with 150 or more hits.[2] Aaron made the All-Star team every year from 1955 until 1975[3] and won three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. In 1957 he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award, while that same year, the Braves won the World Series. It was Aaron's one World Series victory during his career as a player. Aaron's consistency helped him to establish a number of important hitting records during his 23-year career. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (2,297), the most career extra base hits (1,477), and the most career total bases (6,856). He is also in the top five for career hits with 3,771 (3rd) and runs with 2,174 (tied for 4th with Babe Ruth). He also is in second place in at-bats (12,364), and in third place in games (3,298). Aaron's nicknames include "Hammer," "Hammerin' Hank,” and "Bad Henry”. To honor Aaron's contributions to Major League Baseball, MLB created the Hank Aaron Award, an annual award given to the hitters voted the most effective in each respective league. He is the last Negro league baseball player to play in the major leagues.[4] He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, his first year of eligibility. That same year, baseball fans named Aaron to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante listed Hank Aaron on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Aaron
pg.34 "The Braves got Hank Aaron and Wes Covington."
(born March 27, 1932 in Laurinburg, North Carolina) was a Major League Baseball player for the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1956 to 1966. Covington is one of a handful of players to have played for four different teams in one season when he accomplished this feat in 1961. His best season came in 1958 with the Braves when he hit 24 home runs, had 74 Runs Batted In and hit for a .330 batting average. He played his last game of his career with the Dodgers in the 1966 World Series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Covington
pg.34 "I hit seven home runs off of Satchel Paige."
(July 7, 1906[1]– June 8, 1982) was an American baseball player whose pitching in several different Negro Leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime. Paige was a right-handed pitcher and was the oldest rookie to play Major League Baseball. He played with the St. Louis Browns around the age of fifty and represented them in the Major League All-Star Game in both 1952 and 1953. His professional playing career lasted from the mid-1920s until 1965.[2] In 1971, Paige was the first player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame from the Negro Leagues.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satchel_Paige
pg.34 "Sandy Koufax. He's leading the league in strikeouts."
pronounced /ˈkoʊfæks/) (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935) is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, from 1955 to 1966. Koufax's career peaked with a run of six outstanding seasons from 1961 to 1966, before arthritis ended his career at age 30. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1963. He also won the 1963, 1965, and 1966 Cy Young Awards by unanimous votes, all during the period when only one pitcher was chosen per season, making him the first 3-time Cy Young winner in baseball history. In each of his Cy Young seasons, Koufax won the pitcher's triple crown by leading the NL in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. Koufax's totals would also have led the American League in those seasons.[1][2] Koufax was the first major leaguer to pitch four no-hitters (including a perfect game). Despite his comparatively short career, Koufax's 2,396 career strikeouts ranked 7th in history as of his retirement, trailing only Warren Spahn (2,583) among left-handers. Retiring at the peak of his career, he became, at age 36 and 20 days, the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.[3] Koufax is also remembered as one of the outstanding Jewish athletes in American sport. His decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur garnered national attention as an example of conflict between social pressures and personal beliefs.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Koufax
pg.34 "I bet you couldn't hit no home runs off of Warren Spahn"
(April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 21 seasons, all in the National League. He won 20 games each in 13 seasons, including a 23-7 record when he was aged 42. Spahn was the 1957 Cy Young Award winner, and was the runner-up three times, all during the period when just one award was given. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, with 83% of the total vote. (His eligibility was delayed, under the rules of the time by 2 years of token minor league play). Spahn was regarded as a "thinking man's" pitcher who liked to outwit batters. He once described his approach on the mound: "Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing." Spahn won more games (363) than any other left-handed pitcher in history, and more than any other pitcher who played his entire career in the post-1920 live-ball era. He is acknowledged as one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball history. The Warren Spahn Award, given to the major leagues' best left-handed pitcher, is named after him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Spahn
pg.34 "You got Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette."
(November 22, 1926 – February 6, 2007) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves. The team's top right-hander during its years in Milwaukee, he was the Most Valuable Player of the 1957 World Series, leading the franchise to its first championship in 43 years, and the only title in Milwaukee history. An outstanding control pitcher, his career average of 1.84 walks per nine innings pitched places him behind only Robin Roberts (1.73), Carl Hubbell (1.82) and Juan Marichal (1.82) among pitchers with at least 3000 innings since 1920. Born in Nitro, West Virginia, Burdette was signed by the New York Yankees in 1947, and after making two relief appearances for the team in September 1950, he was traded to the Braves in August 1951 for four-time 20-game winner Johnny Sain. Along with left-hander Warren Spahn and hardworking Bob Buhl, he gave the Braves one of the best starting rotations in the majors during the 1950s, winning 15 or more games eight times between 1953 and 1961. When Milwaukee won the 1957 World Series against the Yankees, Burdette became the first pitcher in 37 years to win three complete games in a Series, and the first since Christy Mathewson in 1905 to pitch two shutouts (Games 5 and 7). In the 1958 Series, however, the Yankees defeated Burdette twice in three starts. In addition to winning 20 games in 1958 and 21 in 1959, Burdette won 19 in 1956 and 1960, 18 in 1961, and 17 in 1957. In two All-Star games, he allowed only one run in seven innings pitched, and in 1956 he topped National League pitchers with a 2.70 earned run average. He also led the NL in shutouts twice, and in wins, innings and complete games once each. Burdette was the winning pitcher on May 26, 1959 when the Pittsburgh Pirates' Harvey Haddix pitched a perfect game against the Braves for 12 innings, only to lose in the 13th. Burdette threw a 1-0 shutout, scattering 12 hits. In the ensuing offseason, he joked, "I'm the greatest pitcher that ever lived. The greatest game that was ever pitched in baseball wasn't good enough to beat me, so I've got to be the greatest!" The next year, facing the minimum 27 batters, Burdette pitched a 1–0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 18, 1960. Tony González, the only opposing batter to reach base after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, was retired on a double play. Burdette helped himself by scoring the only run of the game. Following up his no-hitter, five days later he pitched his third shutout in a row. As a hitter, he compiled a .183 batting average with 75 RBI and 12 home runs; his first two home runs came in the same 1957 game, and he later had two more two-homer games. In 1963 Burdette was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals (1963-64), and was later sent to the Chicago Cubs (1964-65) and Phillies (1965). Signing with the California Angels, he pitched exclusively in relief for the team in 1966-67 before retiring. In an 18-year career, Burdette posted a 203-144 record with 1074 strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 3067.1 innings, compiling 158 complete games and 33 shutouts. His totals of wins, games and innings with the Braves ranked behind only Spahn and Kid Nichols in franchise history. Burdette was often rumored as having thrown spitballs, leading to New York Times sportswriter Red Smith writing that "There should be 3 pitching statistics for Burdette: Wins, Losses, and Relative Humidity." Burdette also cut a record in the 1950s entitled "Three Strikes and Then You're Out". Burdette died of lung cancer at age 80 at his home in Winter Garden, Florida.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Burdette
pg.61"Big old strong boy. Look like Joe Louis. "
(May 13, 1914 - April 12, 1981), better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis helped elevate boxing out of a nadir in popularity in the post-Jack Dempsey era by establishing a reputation as an honest, hardworking fighter at a time when the sport was dominated by gambling interests.[1][2] Louis' championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months, during which he participated in 27 championship fights, including 25 successful title defenses – all records for the heavyweight division. In 2005, Louis was named the greatest heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization,[3] and was ranked number one on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Louis' cultural impact was felt well outside the ring. Louis is widely regarded as the first African American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II.[4] He also was instrumental in integrating the game of golf, breaking the sport's color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor's exemption in a PGA event in 1952.[5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis
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