Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 5 January 2017

Washington treaded carefully

in adapting ‘Fences’ to film

self, Viola Davis, Stephen time one of Wilson’s works
McKinley Henderson, Rus- has been adapted for the
This image released by sell Hornsby and Mykelti screen.
Paramount Pictures shows Williamson. Then he add- The other time was an ed-
Denzel Washington, left, and
Viola Davis in a scene from, ed up-and-comers Jovan ited version of “The Piano
“Fences. Adepo and Saniyya Sid- Lesson” that aired in 2002
Associated Press ney. on the Hallmark channel.
Then he put them in an This version of “Fences”
actual front yard in Pitts- took no scalpel to the text.
burgh’s Hill District. There “It is in the right hands,”
would be no Hollywood Henderson said. On why
MARK KENNEDY sound stages this time. Just the play took so long to
AP Entertainment Writer a worn, small home with be adapted, he was philo-
NEW YORK (AP) — When plastic-covered furniture in sophical: “If it had been
August Wilson’s widow first the neighborhood where done earlier, it might not
toured the set for the new Wilson grew up. have been done properly.”
movie based on his play “Once it was clear we More adaptations are on
“Fences,” she carefully ex- were all getting that same their way. Washington will
amined the modest two- band back together, with produce an additional
story brick house, the small a couple of new hot play- nine Wilson’s plays for HBO.
yard and the tree where a ers and a little different ar- Henderson, a so-called
ball hung from a rope — rangement — and doing it “Wilsonian soldier,” hopes
and she wept. in Pittsburgh — then I knew he might snag a role in a
Constanza Romero, who that there was no way it few. “I’d serve if called
lost her playwright husband wasn’t destined to at least upon,” he said, laughing.
in 2005, has visited many be respectful,” said Hen- “I’d definitely serve.” (In
theatrical sets for Wilson’s derson, who’s performed a addition, a live “Jitney” is
most popular and perhaps number of Wilson’s plays. opening on Broadway on
most personal play, but the It seems to have worked. Jan. 19.)
one used for its first film ad- Since opening wide on The irony is that Wilson him-
aptation reconnected her Christmas, the Paramount self wasn’t really a huge
with him. release has made $32.4 movie fan. “He was a lan-
“It was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. million, making it one of guage man,” said Romero.
I’m inside August Wilson’s the more lucrative stage- “I made him watch a lot of
world. This is August Wil- to-screen adaptations in things with me and he en-
son’s world complete,’” recent years. joyed a lot of films. But if I
Romero recalled. “It was “Fences,” set in 1957, tells wasn’t with him, I think that
just such a feeling that Au- the story of Troy Maxson, he would not — out of his
gust’s words had become a larger-than-life garbage own choice — go see a
three-dimensional.” man whose dashed dream film.”
Romero found herself in of baseball glory in a white With “Fences,” though,
tears, trying to catch her world of pro ball has given Romero is convinced Wil-
breath, when she glanced him a rigid, embittered son would approve. There
at Denzel Washington, the sense of responsibility that may even have been a su-
film’s director and star. has a profound effect on pernatural clue toward the
“Oh, I understand,” he told his wife, Rose, and his sons. end of the “Fences” shoot
her. “I understand those Washington, who plays that the actors believe
tears.” Maxson, had to tread care- shows the master play-
The tears were as much fully, respecting the play wright was on board.
out of relief as gratitude. — and it’s stifling, claustro- In a powerful scene in
Adapting Wilson’s mas- phobic quality — but also which the characters look
terpiece has taken more making it cinematic. toward heaven and the
than 30 years and it’s easy He added short scenes Pearly Gates, a gate door
to see why: It’s a two-hour, like kids playing stickball behind the performers mys-
dialogue-heavy story root- in the street, a time-lapse teriously closed.
ed in a front yard in Pitts- montage and a few forays “That was not cinematical-
burgh’s Hill District. away from the home that ly rigged in any way. Just
Washington, who won a are referenced in the text. at the moment that he was
Tony for his performance Henderson said he wel- trying to open the gates,
in the Broadway revival of comed the shift from stage the gate opened,” said
“Fences” seven years ago, to screen, saying he was Henderson.
made some key decisions liberated from the need to The consensus was Wilson
when he was first tapped project his voice to the last wanted to make an ap-
to translate the play onto seats in a theater: “You’re pearance.
35 mm film. freed to live the text rather “That’s exactly where
First, he reunited five of than perform it.” we put that,” Henderson
the main actors from the “Fences” is only the second said.q
Broadway revival — him-