Of course I'm going to compare this new production at Signature Theater to the Broadway premiere in 2001, which won a Tony for Viola Davis. Are there any standout performances this time around? Yes, definitely. All of them. And thankfully, Stokes isn't anywhere near this production. And it's nice to see Mr. Gaines on stage. But while this gritty production is first-rate and leaves you with the sort of depression that's common with Wilson, it isn't the right time for New York audiences to return to this play. We need a first-rate revival of "Fences" above anything else.
