Golden Globes' Awkward 'Hidden Fences' Mistake Is Now A Real Play

Illustration by Dan Paul Roberts

During the 2017 Golden Globes, Hollywood made it painfully obvious that it couldn't distinguish two films with a predominantly black cast from one another when Hidden Figures and Fences kept getting combined into a nonexistent film called Hidden Fences.

First came NBC Today show correspondent Jenna Bush Hager who, while talking to Pharrell Williams about his nomination for best original score for Hidden Figures, said to the artist "So, you're nominated for Hidden Fences."

Later that night Michael Keaton made the same mistake while presenting the award for best supporting actress (both Hidden Figures star Octavia Spencer and Fences star Viola Davis were nominated).

Well, someone has now turned Hidden Fences into a play.

Comedian and writer Jordan Temple has created a play inspired by the awkward Gloden Globes mistake, which tells the story of Fences character Troy Maxon on an intergalactic mission (this is where Hidden Figures comes into play) in his attempt to become the first black man to hit a baseball into outer space. The play also includes portrayals of Katherine Jonhson and Dorothy Vaughan.

The play recently had a showing on April 14, and hopefully, more coverage of the play will lead to future performances.

In related news, Hidden Figures has its own classroom curriculum.

Created by Journeys In Film, the curriculum is made up of eight lesson plans that contextualize the contributions of Hidden Figures‘ central characters: Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughn. From the Cold War to segregation and the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the curriculum uses Hidden Figures to explore everything from American history to math and science.

The curriculum can be downloaded here. Find more information about Hidden Fences here.