Selection 1: Fences
Fences: Act II, Scene 2

Washington, Denzel, director. Fences Trailer 2. Paramount Pictures, 25 Nov. 2016, youtu.be/spCxVd9ctFs.

Reading: Read Act II, Scene 2

Link to text here.


Stage Directions: Six months have passed since Troy told Rose about his affair with Alberta. Now, Troy and Rose barely communicate now. The ritual Friday evenings on the porch have ended, too. Bono and Troy see less of each other now that they don’t work together.  Troy disappears down to the corner bar after work (or is at Alberta’s).

Washington, Denzel, director. Fences Trailer 2. Paramount Pictures, 25 Nov. 2016, youtu.be/spCxVd9ctFs.

We also learn Troy signed paperwork committing Gabe to a mental institution. He judges himself, and Rose is critical, too, but the audience knows that Gabriel was getting arrested and probably was not safe living the way he was.

When Alberta unexpectedly dies in childbirth, Death has now struck too close to Troy. The scene closes with Troy invoking Death as he attempts to negotiate the terms of their inevitable face-to-face meeting.

Notes on the Text:

(page 74) "Say the government send part of his check to the hospital and the other part to you."

Originally, Troy resisted Rose's urgings to send Gabe to the hospital ("...let him be free..."), but now, perhaps for half of Gabe's disability check, Troy has consented (knowingly or unknowingly) to Gabe's institutionalization.

(page 77) "I'm gonna take and build me a fence around what belongs to me. And then I want you to stay on the other side. See? You stay over there until you're ready for me. Then you come on.”

Troy talks to PERSONIFIED "Mr. Death" here including reference to finishing the fence around his home (and his family). Troy's SOLILOQUY (he's alone on stage) shows his love and responsibility to his family, despite his actions with Alberta. He tries to strike a deal with death that will keep death away from his family until death is ready for Troy himself.