Written by orange• May 7, 2025• 5:51 pm• Laguna beach, Laguna Playhouse, Review, Theater, Uncategorized

Fences @ Laguna Playhouse – Review

PHOTO CREDIT: Jason Niedle/TETHOS

Written by Zack Johnston

August Wilson’s Fences officially opened Sunday at the Laguna Playhouse’s Moulton Theatre. Directed by Yvette Freeman-Hartley, the play poignantly examines moral integrity within the family unit and how easily good intentions can be corrupted by hubris.

Once a rising star in the segregated professional baseball league, Troy Maxson now struggles to provide for his family as a Pittsburgh sanitation worker during the late 1950s. However, it’s not merely finances, but the collision of his past and present self that causes the family such turmoil in this Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.

Story:

The story is told just outside Maxson’s home, a weathered two-story building that engulfs the stage. The outer edges are littered with loose debris, and an old tree looms over one side of the stage, bearing nothing but a rope with a baseball attached to the end.

Set/Lighting/Sound Design:

Edward E. Haynes Jr.’s Scenic design allows this story to unfold as it should. The towering structure and scenery establish Troy’s dominating presence within his family’s life. The set also does a great job of illustrating the kind of mid-century urban domesticity the family calls home. It’s intentionally put together in ways to involve the actors so that the intimacy and the emotional journey are placed at the forefront.

There’s a stillness to Donny Jackson’s lighting design that helps create a sort of unsuspecting tension throughout the show. Soft, but dramatic changes to color and intensity add a luring sense of clarity to the plot’s turmoil.

The full illusion is not complete without Jesse Worley’s sound design, which paints clear imagery of this urban neighborhood and really grounding the story in reality. Lanny Hartley’s original music composition adds additional layers of melancholy while helping maintain the show’s steady pacing.

Acting:

Corey Jones (Troy Maxson) leads the production perfectly grounded in his character’s shoes. He leans just enough into Troy’s masculine cliches while bringing light to his underlying insecurities.

Boise Holmes (Jim Bono) plays Troy’s close friend and coworker, whom he meets while previously incarcerated. The two actors effortlessly portray the deeply rooted friendship with skillful complexity. Holmes’s more calm demeanor perfectly contrasts with Jones’s during their moments of male camaraderie.

Tamarra Graham (Rose Maxson) gives an impeccable performance as Troy’s wife and the family’s strong-willed matriarch. With every passing scene, Graham shows a gradual but profound development within her character.

Matt Orduña (Gabriel Maxson) plays Troy’s younger brother, a war veteran who suffered a severe head injury resulting in major psychological issues. Orduña carries the role with grace while delivering an impassioned standout performance.

Troy’s two sons are played by K.J. Powell (Cory Maxson) and Sean Samuels (Lyons Maxson), each bringing unique perspectives to the father-son relationship in disarray. Powell gives a remarkable performance in what becomes a character steeped in defiance of his father’s wishes. At the same time, Samuel’s charismatic portrayal of the older independent son adds more levels to the overall dynamic of this immaculate production.

Fences runs at the Laguna Playhouse through May 18.