Introduction to Drama and to Fences

1. Introduction to Drama and to Fences Introducing an art form and a play Introduction to Drama and to Fences

2. Objectives I. Define drama. II. Show play-reading tips to help comprehension. III. Identify elements of drama, find meaning in Fences. IV. Explore fences as metaphor. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

3. I. Definition of Drama A. story that comes to life on stage through actors’ speech and movement, and whose purpose is to entertain and instruct. B. stage action springing from internal power of character’s will that shows itself in external “doing” while in conflict with other power/character Introduction to Drama and to Fences

4. --A character wants something; other characters/forces forbid it. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

5. II. Play-reading tips: A. Read everything. 1. stage directions give insights to actors a. …this largeness that he strives … to fill out and make an accommodation with b. Troy, surprised, is thrown off balance just as Cory throws a glancing blow…. c. There is awkward indelicateness about the way he handles the baby. 2. characters’ names, indicating new speaker B. See and hear in imagination. C. Reread and learn vocabulary: dubious, destitute. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

6. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

7. III. Elements of this play shape its meaning, are similar to novel, short story elements. A. Themes in Fences • skin deep: black man struggles with family responsibilities in 1950s big city, USA • below surface: father-son conflict spans generations and, though it is affected by culture, is still basic to any generation Introduction to Drama and to Fences

8. 3. effects of parental mistakes: "sins of the fathers" 4. “dreams deferred” (Read Hughes poem) Introduction to Drama and to Fences

9. B. Conflict: struggle between 2 forces • man v. society: Troy and his culture, circumstances According to Wilson, “One question in the play is ‘Are the tools we are given sufficient to compete in a world that is different from the one our parents knew?' I think they are--it's just that we have to do different things with the tools.” (Bridges) • man v. man: Troy v. Cory; v. Rose • man v. self: Troy and “Death” Introduction to Drama and to Fences

10. C. Drama probes the human heart confronted with hard circumstances—“dilemmas.” climax rising action falling action denouement/ exposition conclusion --Crisis choices of Troy, Cory and Rose define who they are, show us who we are. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

11. D. Characterization 1. Relationship between Troy and Cory is explored as a central to play. Their relationship is complicated by their strong feelings of pride and independence. (Tomczak) 2. Troy is flawed protagonist: adultery destroys marriage with Rose. (Tomczak) --(mis)handling of responsibilities toward Cory, Rose Introduction to Drama and to Fences

12. IV.Metaphors deepen meaning of play. A.Troy and Cory build fence around yard; Troy builds “fence” between himself and other characters in the play. (Bridges) B. “Fences both protect and contain -- they define territory and prevent mixture. A fence is integral to baseball; how else do we define a home run?” (Dynes) C. Troy wrestles with “Death” and claims it’s nothing but a fastball, something he can handle. (Bridges) He dies while swinging at rag-ball in his yard. Introduction to Drama and to Fences

13. Harlem by Langston Hughes What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? Introduction to Drama and to Fences

14. Works Cited Bridges, Wallace. August Wilson. Bridges Web Services. 12 August 2002. <http://www.bridgesweb.com/wilson.html> Dynes, Bill. Contemporary Drama. University of Indiana. 12 August 2002. <http://www.uindy.edu/~english/english_331_docs/fences.htm> Tomczak, Tom. August Wilson’s Fences: Teaching Possibilities. San Francisco University, S.D. 12 August 2002. <http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch571/MLRQ/fences01.html> Introduction to Drama and to Fences