Fences to star Denzel Washington & Viola Davis

Two-time Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington will star in the first Broadway revival of Fences, the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by August Wilson. The production will also star Tony Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee Viola Davis.

Additional casting and production team for FENCES will be announced soon.

Fences, directed by Kenny Leon, will open at the Cort Theatre on 26 Apr 2010, following previews from 14 Apr, for a strictly limited 13-week engagement.

Fences is one of the ten plays in August Wilson's sweeping Pittsburgh Cycle, focusing on the twentieth century African-American experience.

Set in the late 1950's the play tells the story of Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington), an embittered ex-con and former negro baseball player. Discrimiation stops Maxson from gaining promotion at work, and the resultant shame he feels for not being able to provide adequately for his family causes him to emotionally wihdraw from them.

The original Broadway production played 525 regular performances and won four Tony Awards: Best Play; Best Director - Lloyd Richards; Best Actor - James Earl Jones and Best Featured Actress - Mary Alice.

This will be Washington's third outing on Broadway. The actor made his Broadway debut as 'Sylvester Williams' in 'Checkmates' (1988) and last appeared on Broadway as 'Brutus' in Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' (2005).

Washington has won two Academy awards ('Training Day' and 'Glory'). His many films include 'Malcolm X,' 'Philadelphia,' 'The Pelican Brief,' Cry Freedom.'

Viola Davis won a Tony Award for her role as 'Tonya' in August Wilson's 'King Hedley II.' She made her Broadway debut playing 'Vera'in August Wilson's 'Seven Guitars.' David was nominated for an Academy and a Golden Globe Award for her role as 'Mrs. Miller' in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley 's play 'Doubt.'

Kenny Leon directed the Broadway productions of August Wilson's 'Radio Golf' (three Tony nominations), 'Gem of the Ocean' (five Tony nominations) and the Tony Award-winning revival of 'A Raisin in the Sun,' for which he also directed the TV film adaptation of.

August Wilson authored 'Gem of the Ocean,' 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'The Piano Lesson,' 'Seven Guitars,' 'Fences,' 'Two Trains Running,' 'Jitney,' 'King Hedley II' and 'Radio Golf.' These works explore the heritage and experience of African Americans, decade by decade, over the course of the twentieth century. His plays have been produced at regional theatres across the country and all over the world, as well as on Broadway.