LOS ANGELES, CA (September 23, 2026)\u2014Center Theatre Group<\/strong>\u00a0is honored to announce that Phylicia Rashad<\/strong> will direct August Wilson\u2019s Fences<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> the Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary classic,\u00a0May 26 to July 3, 2027<\/strong> at the Mark Taper Forum. <\/strong><\/p>\n She is a Tony Award winner (Skeleton Crew<\/em>\u202fand\u202fA Raisin in the Sun<\/em>) who has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Center Theatre Group as both a director and actress.\u202f Rashad directed\u202fA Raisin in the Sun<\/em>\u202ffor The Ebony Repertory Theatre production at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2012. She continued her partnership with Center Theatre Group at the Mark Taper Forum, directing August Wilson\u2019s\u202fJoe Turner\u2019s Come and Gone<\/em>\u202f(2013),\u202fMa Rainey\u2019s Black Bottom<\/em>\u202f(2016),\u202fImmediate Family<\/em>\u202f(2015), and\u202fBlues for an Alabama Sky<\/em>\u202f(2022). As a performer, she appeared on stage at the Taper in Tarell Alvin McCraney\u2019s Head of Passes<\/em>, directed by Tina Landau in 2017. <\/p>\n August Wilson\u2019s Fences<\/em> won the 1987 Pulitzer, Tony, and Drama Desk Awards for Best Play. Eight of the ten Century Cycle plays have won New York Drama Critics\u2019 Circle Awards. With this production of Fences,<\/em> CTG completes the Century Cycle, having previously staged the other nine plays of the cycle written by Wilson. <\/p>\n Set in segregated Pittsburgh in the 1950s, Fences<\/strong><\/em> depicts the life of Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball star now scraping by as a sanitation worker. Excluded from the major leagues in his prime, Troy has grown increasingly bitter. And his anger and frustration take a toll on his wife Rose and his son Cory, who now wants his own chance to play ball professionally. But even as Troy takes responsibility for his family\u2019s safety and well-being, he betrays them each in ways that will forever alter their lives. Fences<\/strong><\/em> explores the walls we build around ourselves and our loved ones, while also illuminating one family\u2019s struggles in a racist society.<\/p>\n \u201cI have deep admiration for the theatrical canon of August Wilson, having performed in one and directed many of his plays over the course of my career,\u201d<\/em> said Director Phylicia Rashad<\/strong>. \u201cAt their core, his plays offer a vital reflection of human dignity, shared history, and spiritual depth, and have become, for good reason, some of the most highly regarded and produced works in the history of the American Theatre. I am thrilled to return once again to the Mark Taper Forum, where I have my own shared history, this time to direct one of his greatest plays. I look forward to sharing Fences with Los Angeles next summer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cI am thrilled to welcome our dear friend and 2026 Gala Honoree, Phylicia Rashad, back to Center Theatre Group next summer to direct Fences\u2014one of August Wilson\u2019s most beloved and enduring works\u2014at the Mark Taper Forum,\u201d <\/em>said CTG Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai<\/strong>. \u201cWith this production, CTG will complete a remarkable journey decades in the making, having produced all ten plays of Wilson\u2019s landmark Century Cycle, one of the towering achievements of the American theatrical canon. There is something deeply moving about reaching this milestone with Phylicia\u2014an artist of extraordinary grace, vision, and stature\u2014bringing Wilson\u2019s words to life on the Taper stage. One legend illuminating the work of another, in a theatre that has long been a home for groundbreaking American stories. And to have these histories converge in Los Angeles on the eve of CTG\u2019s 60th anniversary feels especially meaningful\u2014a celebration not only of where we have been, but of the artists, stories, and audiences who will carry us into the next sixty years.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Noted critic Harold Bloom included it on his list of essential works constituting the Western Canon; the 2016 film was chosen as one of the year\u2019s ten best by the American Film Institute; won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis<\/a>) and three other Oscar nominations including Best Picture; and was the sixth most popular film of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a giant figure in American theatre,\u201d<\/em> the playwright Tony Kushner said to The New York Times<\/em>. \u201cHeroic is not a word one uses often without embarrassment to describe a writer or playwright, but the diligence and ferocity of effort behind the creation of his body of work is really an epic story. For all the magic in his plays, he was writing in the grand tradition of Eugene O\u2019Neill and Arthur Miller, the politically engaged, direct, social realist drama. He was reclaiming ground for the theater that most people thought had been abandoned.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Fence<\/em>s set a record for a nonmusical Broadway production when it grossed $11 million in a single year and ran for 525 performances. Together, in a little over 20 years, Mr. Wilson\u2019s plays performed nearly 1,800 performances on Broadway and, as of Wilson\u2019s death in 2005, they have been seen in more than 2,000 separate productions, amateur and professional.<\/p>\n \u201cI think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans,\u201d<\/em> he [August Wilson] told The Paris Review<\/em>. \u201cFor instance, in Fences they see a garbageman, a person they don\u2019t really look at, although they see a garbageman every day. By looking at Troy\u2019s life, white people find out that the content of this black garbageman\u2019s life is affected by the same things \u2013 love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty. Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect how they think about and deal with black people in their lives.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n An accomplished actor and stage director, Phylicia Rashad became a household name when she portrayed Claire Huxtable on The Cosby Show<\/em>, a character whose enduring appeal has earned her numerous honors and awards. She has appeared in The Gilded Age<\/em>, The Chi<\/em>, Diarra from Detroit<\/em>, NBC\u2019s This Is Us (<\/em>Emmy nominations),<\/em> in the popular Fox TV series Empire,<\/em> in Tarell Alvin McCraney\u2019s Peabody Award-winning series David Makes Man,<\/em> on the OWN Network, The Good Fight, Little America,<\/em> and The Crossover<\/em>.<\/p>\n she has also been a force on the stage, appearing both on and Off Broadway, often in projects that showcase her musical talent such as Jelly\u2019s Last Jam<\/a>, Into the Woods, Dreamgirls<\/a><\/em>, and The Wiz<\/em>.<\/p>\n Rashad was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame and received the 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play for her performance as Shelah in Tarell Alvin McCraney\u2019s Head of Passes<\/em> at the Public Theater. Rashad performed the role of the Duchess of Gloucester in Richard II<\/em>, the 2020 Shakespeare on the Radio<\/em> collaboration between The Public Theater and New York public radio station, WNYC.<\/p>\n Rashad has performed in Dominique Morriseau\u2019s Skeleton Crew (<\/em>Tony and DramaDesk Awards)<\/em>, August: Osage County<\/em>, Tennessee Williams\u2019 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof<\/em> (a role that she reprised on the London stage), August Wilson\u2019s Gem of The Ocean<\/em>(Tony Award nomination) and in Shakespeare\u2019s Cymbeline<\/em> at Lincoln Center. Rashad received both the Drama Desk and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her riveting performance as Lena Younger in the 2004 Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry\u2019s A Raisin in The Sun<\/em>.<\/p>\n The Beekeeper<\/em>, Creed<\/em>, Creed II,<\/em> Creed III<\/em>, Just Wright<\/em>, Tyler Perry\u2019s Good Deeds<\/em>, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf, A Fall From Grace, and<\/em> Ruth and Boaz<\/em>. Other recent film projects include Black Box<\/em>, Soul<\/em>, and the Netflix holiday musical, Jingle Jangle<\/em>.<\/p>\n with August Wilson\u2019s Gem of the Ocean<\/em>. In 2025 she directed Brandon-Jacobs-Jenkins\u2019 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning. Purpose on<\/em> Broadway after a successful run at Steppenwolf. Rashad\u2019s directing credits include Stephen Adly Guirgis\u2019 Our Lady of<\/em> 121st Street<\/em><\/a>, The Roommate<\/em>, Blues for an Alabama Sky<\/em>, Ma Rainey\u2019s Black Bottom, Joe Turner\u2019s Come and Gone<\/em> (2014 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Director), Immediate Family<\/em>, Fences<\/em>, A Raisin in the Sun<\/em>, and Four Little Girls<\/em>.<\/p>\n Rashad recently completed her tenure as Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University. In February 2023, she was appointed Howard University\u2019s inaugural holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities.<\/p>\n including Howard University, New York University, Carnegie Mellon, The Black Arts Institute of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and the prestigious Ten Chimneys Foundation. Ms. Rashad also holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre at Fordham University.<\/p>\n in the performing arts has been recognized by the numerous colleges and universities that have presented her with Honorary Doctorates: Barber Scotia College, Bennett College, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Clark Atlanta University, Fordham University, Howard University, Morris Brown College, Providence College, Spelman College, St. Augustine College, Tuskegee University.<\/p>\n including the International Black Theatre Festival Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award, BET Honors Theatrical Arts Award, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre\u2019s Spirit of Shakespeare Award, and the Inaugural Legacy Award of the Ruben Santiago Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center.<\/p>\n She serves on several important boards including Brainerd Institute Heritage (which is steering the restoration of Kumler Hall at the historic site of Brainerd Institute in Chester, South Carolina) and DADA, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.<\/p>\n Rashad has been the Brand Ambassador of the National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund since its inception in 2017.<\/p>\n Phylicia Rashad graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University and is the mother of two adult children.<\/p>\n Center Theatre Group<\/strong>, one of the nation\u2019s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles\u2019 leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of the Brindell & Milton Gottlieb Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director \/ CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.<\/p>\n The S. Mark Taper Foundation<\/strong>, founded in 1989, is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of people\u2019s lives. The Foundation does this by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities. The S. Mark Taper Foundation is committed to grantmaking that aligns with the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n Bank of America<\/strong> is Center Theatre Group\u2019s 2026\/27 One CTG Season Sponsor. Bank of America believes in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, to educate and enrich societies, and to create greater cultural understanding. For over 20 years, the company has supported Center Theatre Group\u2019s innovative Education and Community Partnerships programs and world-class productions.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n Venue:<\/strong> Mark Taper Forum, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012\u00a0<\/p>\n Dates<\/strong>:Tuesday, May 26 to Saturday, July 3, 2027\u00a0<\/p>\n Schedule:\u202f<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Tickets<\/strong> Prices<\/strong> begin at $37.95 and can be obtained:Phylicia Rashad was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2016. <\/h6>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/giaonthemove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FENCseason-Meta-.jpg?resize=1020%2C574&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
About Phylicia Rashad<\/strong><\/h3>\n
While television was a catalyst in the rise of Rashad\u2019s career,<\/h6>\n
In 2016, <\/h6>\n
On Broadway, <\/h6>\n
Among Rashad\u2019s film credits are<\/h6>\n
Rashad made her critically acclaimed directorial debut at the Seattle Repertory Theater <\/h6>\n
Respected in the academic world, <\/h6>\n
Rashad has conducted Master Classes at many colleges, universities, and arts organizations<\/h6>\n
Rashad\u2019s commitment to excellence <\/h6>\n
Rashad has also received countless esteemed awards<\/h6>\n
CALENDAR LISTING FOR FENCES<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Fridays at 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Thursday matinee, July 1 at 2:00 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the Website<\/strong>: CenterTheatreGroup.org.
By<\/strong> Phone<\/strong>: Audience Services at 213.628.2772.\u202f
In person<\/strong>: Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.
For Groups<\/strong>\u202f: CenterTheatreGroup.org\/Tickets\/Groups-and-Corporate-Offers<\/a>.
Access<\/strong> Center Theatre Group offers a number of services to accommodate\u202fpersons requiring mobility, vision, and hearing access.\u202f For more information, please visit\u202fCenterTheatreGroup.org\/Access<\/a>.\u202f<\/p>\n