Fishburne and Bassett to Star in LA Fences, 8/25-10/1

Fences, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson, will be presented at the Pasadena Playhouse from August 25th through October 1st in a production starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.

Fences, directed by Sheldon Epp, will reunite Fishburne and Bassett, who famously starred as Ike and Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It, and have also been seen together in Akeelah and the Bee and Boyz n the Hood.  In the show, "Troy Maxson — a former star ballplayer in the Negro Leagues — finds himself an embittered 53-year old garbage collector. As he comes to terms with his own lost dreams, Troy struggles to hold onto a shred of personal dignity while battling to unite his family," according to notes on the Playhouse's website. 

Fences is part of Wilson's acclaimed ten-play chronicle of the African-American experience in the 20th century.  In addition to the Pulitzer, it won the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play, as well as Tonys for original stars James Earl Jones and Mary Alice.  Lloyd Richards, who recently passed away, also won a Tony for his direction.

Though perhaps best known to most for his role as Morpheus in the Matrix films, Fishburne is an actor acclaimed for his work on both stage and screen. He won a Tony Award (as well as Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards) for his performance in Wilson's Two Trains Running, and also appeared on Broadway in the revival of The Lion in Winter. His film credits include Mystic River, Miss Evers' Boys, Othello, and Apocalypse Now; he earned an Oscar nomination for What's Love Got to Do with It.  He is currently starring in Alfred Uhry's Without Walls at the Los Angeles Theatre through July 16th.

Bassett made her Broadway debut in a Wilson play--1988's Joe Turner's Come and Gone.  Off-Broadway, she has been seen in Macbeth, Henry IV, Part I and Black Girl.  Nominated for an Oscar for her work in What's Love Got to Do with It, her many film credits include Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Sunshine State, Boesman and Lena, Music of the Heart, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X and City of Hope.

For more on the Pasadena Playhouse, visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.