Fences - Rose Maxon

I picked Mary Alice Smith to play the role of Rose Maxon because of here easy going temperament and witty personality. This was precisely the type of women that Rose is. Mary Alice’s performance in “The Matrix”, “Raisin in the Sun”, “Catfish and Black Beans”, and “Heading Home” encompass Roses character throughout the play which is why I am confident that she will do the role justice. Furthermore, Rose is a trusting and patient wife who overlooks her Husband’s flaws. This is the same role Mary Alice played in “To Sleep with Anger”. She knows what she wants and doesn’t beat around the bush. I think that this is the best quality she has. Moreover, the play does not describe the degree of here beauty so we are left to assume that she is attractive. moreover this assumption is further exponded when Bono explains to Troy "I done known you seem my whole life [....] when you was hitting those basbals out the park. A lot of them gals was after you the" ( Act 1, Secen 1, p. 1141). Proving that she was quite a catch if troy had his pick. This is yet another similarity to Rose. Additionally, Roses Youth encompasses a life of turmoil and overindulgence that Mary Alice portrayed in “Sparkle” which was a film in the mid-nineteen seventies that depicted  a group of women gaining popularity and falling victim to the indulgences that came with. This becomes clear when reading the stage directory  which states "her devotion to him stems from her recognition of the possiblities of her life without him: a sucession of abusive men and their babies, a life of partying and running the streets" (Act 1, Scene 1, p. 1108). Over her long career, Mary Alice has gained an incredible insight into the human condition through her acting. However, I believe that casting her when she was 43 would be for the best since the play did state that ”she is ten years younger than Troy”.