How does the dialect affect your understanding of the play?

Much of Fences is written in dialect, depicting the natural speech patterns of the characters in the play. In one example, Troy teases Rose with: “I’m studying you . . . fixing to do my homework!” (I.3.23). In other instances, Wilson brings in dialect through songs the characters recall or sing. How does the dialect affect your understanding of the play? Do you find that the style of the characters’ language, which reflects the period when the action occurs, dates the play for contemporary viewers?