Athol Fugard cold news 2012
An archive of hot news from 2012 Playland online by Ujima
Master Harold... and the boys coming online Knot thesis
Syracus People are Living There in South Africa
A new performance of People are Living There in the Playhouse Theatre, Somerset West, South Africa. The director is Darryl Spijkers. "[the play] focuses on four South African downtrodden white people living in the centre of Johannesburg. Fugard garnered material for the play when he and his wife stayed in lodgings in Braamfontein, when he was employed by the Johannesburg Native Commissioners courthouse. Darryl Spijkers creates the realist design of this show with immense attention to detail. Rene Frylinck, Thomas Agates, Hugo Botha and Tanya Erasmus headline this four-hand comedy drama." It is on from 3-10 Oct 2020. For more details click here. A Lesson from Aloes in London Finborough Theatre present A Lesson from Aloes from 27 Feb- 23 Mar 2019. The director is Janet Suzman and the actors are Dawid Minnaar (Piet), David Rubin (Steve) and Janine Ulfane (Gladys). "In the small backyard of a house in a shabby Port Elizabeth suburb, pots of aloe – the desert plant that can thrive in the most barren soil – bear silent witness to a world where trust has been betrayed and destroyed. South Africa in the 1960s. Apartheid is at its height. Mandela’s ANC has just been banned as a terrorist organisation. Informers are everywhere. Left leaning Afrikaner Piet and his wife, Gladys, hold a party for their mixed-race friend Steve who has just been released from prison. But when mistrust creeps into your own backyard, the closest of ties are undone. Who has betrayed this group of friends? And why is one of them on a one way ticket out of the country? "
Sizwe Bansi one of the 40 plays to read before you die
Statements after an arrest under the immorality act in Philadelphia Blue Mercury Theatre present Statements at Independence Library from 12-17 Sept 2017. The director is Leigh E. Bicica and the actors are Brandon Pierce and Megan McDermott. "Athol Fugard’s provocative play depicts the love affair between a black man and a white woman in apartheid South Africa. They share their deepest longings while battling the oppressive laws of society and their own unconscious prejudices. A cry for social change from a dangerous love that dares to defy all the rules."
Blood Knot in London
Orange Tree Theatre present Blood Knot from 8 Mar -20 Apr 2019.
Nathan McMullen plays Morrie and Kalungi Ssebandeke plays Zach.
"It’s been a year since Morrie returned to Port Elizabeth to live with
his brother Zach. They share childhood memories of their mother, yet have
wildly contrasting life experiences due to their different fathers.
John Kani's Kunene and the King in Stratord-upon-Avon, UK The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK present Fugard veteran John Kani's new play Kunene and the King. Kani will be performing the play together with Antony Sher. The director is Janice Honeyman.
"South Africa, 2019. Twenty-five years since the first post-apartheid
democratic elections, two men from contrasting walks of life are thrust
together to reflect on a quarter century of change." The Island in London The Theatre Chipping Norton and The Dukes Lancaster Present The Island at the Southwark Playhouse from 31 May- 24 Jun 2017. The director is John Terry, design is by Samantha Dowson, movement by Diane Alison Mitchell and lighting by Alexandra Stafford. Actors Edward Dede and Mark Springer are stunningly good in the roles.
The Island in USA Metro Stage present The Island from 26 Mar- 26 Apr 2015. The director is Tom Jones. Doug Brown plays Winston and Michael Anthony Williams plays John. "The Island devised by Athol Fugard and actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Originally seen at MetroStage in 1991, The Island will also return in honor of our 30th anniversary. It depicts the psychological and physical abuse suffered by black political prisoners in South Africa, using the prisoners anticipated performance of the Greek drama Antigone as a symbolic means of political protest". Click on the image for more details. My Children! My Africa! in Hollywood, USA
"In Athol Fugard’s tale of friendship and racial tension, a
schoolmaster in a small South African township describes hope as “a
dangerous animal.” Can he combine the talents of a black male student
with a white female student on an educational journey in the midst of
apartheid?" New book on Fugard
People Are Living There in South Africa The Market Theatre and the Windybrow Theatre present People Are Living There from 22 Apr- 24 May 2015.
The director is Andre Odendaal and the cast are Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Carel Nel, Dania Gelderblom
and Francois Jacobs. Lighting design is by Mannie Manim, set design
by Nadya Cohen, costume design by Nthabiseng Makone and the stage manager
is Thunyelwa Thambe. The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek in New York, USA Fugard's new play is on at The Signature Theatre, New York from 21 Apr- 7 Jun 2015. Fugard directs and the actors are Bianca Amato, Leon Addison Brown, Caleb McLaughlin and Sahr Ngaujah.
"Aging farm laborer Nukain has spent his life transforming the rocks at Revolver Creek into a vibrant garden of painted flowers. Now, the final unpainted rock, as well as his young companion Bokkie, has forced Nukain to confront his legacy as a painter, a person and a black man in 1980s South Africa. When the landowner’s wife arrives with demands about the painting, the profound rifts of a country hurtling toward the end of apartheid are laid bare. My Children! My Africa! in London Two Sheds Theatre present My Children! My Africa! at the Tristan Bates Theatre in London from 28 Apr- 16 May 2015. The directors are Roger Mortimer and Deborah Edgington. Nathan Ives-Moiba plays Thami, Rose Reynolds plays Emily and Anthony Ofoegbu plays Mr. M.
"South Africa, 1985 - the fourth decade of apartheid. Two
opposing forces struggle for the soul of Thami, a young, brilliant black
man. His teacher insists that education, even the inferior “Bantu”
education he is forced to teach, is the way to liberation. But Thami has
begun to listen to angrier voices... Playland in Nottingham, UK New Perspectives Theatre perform Playland at the Holloway’s Florence Nightingale Memorial Hall, Nottingham on 8 Mar 2015.
"With the country in the grips of a brutal apartheid regime, the park promises an evening of thrills and laughter. Click on the link for more details. Sizwe Bansi and The Island in London
Sizwe Banzi is Dead: "How can I live as another man's ghost? Directed by Matthew Xia, design by Hyemi Shin and Richard Hammarton, light by Ciaran Cunningham.
The Island: "John and Winston are cellmates.
One may soon be released; one serves a life sentence, but for now they are both prisoners. As they prepare to perform Antigone for the rest of the prison, the two friends begin to see themselves in the characters, exposing the tensions in their friendship and the oppression around them. The two plays are at the Young Vic in London. Sizwe Banzi is Dead is on from 18- 28 Sept 2013. Click on the images for more information.
Fugard in discussion with Jez Butterworth and Rebecca Lenkiewicz Fugard in conversation with playwrights Jez Butterworth (Jerusalem) and Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Her Naked Skin) at the Simpkins Lee Lecture Theatre, Oxford, UK. Click on the image to watch the video. Master Harold film coming on DVD
The new film of 'Master Harold' and the boys is directed by Lonny Price. Hally is played by Freddie Highmore and Sam by Ving Rhames, Willie by Patrick Mofokeng and Bully by Justin Stein. The film is now available from Amazon USA here. It is available on DVD or Blue-ray. Thanks to Giacomo from the forum for the information. Have You Seen Us, new play
New book on Fugard
Master Harold... and the Boys in Seattle, USA West of Lenin present Master Harold... and the boys. "A landmark play... set in 1950's apartheid South Africa. A universal coming-of-age story about a seventeen-year-old white boy, who has grown up with two black servants in his mother's tea shop, forms into a compelling drama... it is now acknowledged as a classic of the stage, whose themes of injustice, racism, friendship and reconciliation traverse borders and time." It is on from 28 Mar- 21 Apr 2013 at West of Lenin in Seattle, USA. Click on the image for more details. My Children My Africa in NY, USA Theatre Arts present a workshop production of My Children! My Africa “My Children! My Africa!” tells the story of Mr. M, an idealistic teacher in South Africa in 1984, who seeks to provide a future for his student Thami by forming a debate team with Isabel, a brave student from the local white school. But outside the classroom Mr. M’s hopes for Thami are challenged by their generational divide and increasing political turmoil. The director is Cynthia Henderson and the cast includes Ashton Muniz, Jelani Pitcher, Sarah
Morrisette, Cora Joe Anderson, and Ray Zanders. The assistant director
is Colby Senior, ad further credits are dramaturg Rocco Praderio, lighting/sound designer
E-hui Woo, freelance costume designer Heidi Hermiller, production liaison Eric Rothstein, production assistant
Danica Kelley, assistant stage manger Kelsey Dunne, and stage manager Travis
Coxson. It is on 13- 14 Apr 2013 in the Earl McCarroll Studio Theatre (Studio 2) in Dillingham Center, Ithica, NY. Tickets are free but reservations are required- click on the image for more details.
The Road to Mecca in Milwaukee, USA Renaissance Theaterworks present The Road to Mecca. The director is Suzan Fete and the cast are Linda Stephens (Helen), Bri Sudia (Elsa) and Jonathan Gillard Daly (Marius). The Production Team are Julie Swenson (Producer), Brandy Kline (Stage Manager), Lisa Schlenker (Set Design), R.H. Graham (Lighting Design), Holly Payne (Costume Design), Paul Hurley (Sound Design), Nikki Kulas and Jen Lyons (Prop Design), Raeleen McMillion (Dialect Coach), Katie Martin (Visual Artist and 1000+ owl making), Brandon Kirkham (Sculptures), Anthony Lyons (Technical Director), Kat Wodtke (Deck Chief), Darcy Devens (Backstage/Wardrobe). I like a play where "owl making" is part of the credits. It is on at The Studio Theatre, Milwaukee from 5- 28 Apr 2013. Click on the image for more details. Fugard festival in Namibia Playland, Sizwe Bansi is Dead and Hello and Goodbye will all be performed as part of the annual festival of Committed Artists of Namibia. Master Harold... and the Boys in Sacramento, USA Sacramento Theatre Company present Master Harold... and the boys. The cast are Michael J. Asberry (Sam), Rob Anthony Gray (Willie) and Will Block (Hally). The director is Buddy Butler. It is on from 27 Mar- 5 May 2013. Click on the image for more details. Statements after an Arrest Under the Immorality Act in Edinburgh, UK The Fugard Theatre present Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act at the Edinburgh Festival. It is at the Assembly Hall from 2- 27 Aug 2012.
"Set in apartheid South Africa, where relationships across the colour
bar were a criminal offence, a black man and a white woman meet secretly,
in the library where the woman works, to make love and share their hopes
and fears. They are eventually discovered, arrested and charged under the
infamous Immorality Act. The play is a compelling and deeply moving love
story in which the physically and emotionally naked lovers expose not only
their bodies but also their deepest longings for personal and emotional
freedom." The Island in Philadelphia, USA Lantern Theatre Company present The Island from 17 May- 10 Jun 2012. The directed is Peter DeLaurier.
"The Island is Robben Island, South Africa's notorious prison, where
John and Winston are political prisoners and cellmates. After absurdly
grueling days laboring under the sun, they return to their dark cell to
rehearse a makeshift performance of Sophocles' play Antigone. Winston
takes the part of young Antigone, who defies the laws of the state for the
sake of her conscience. John takes the part of Creon, the king, who is so
desperate to hold onto power that he will crush any dissent. Rehearsals in
the cramped cell will test their friendship and strain their resilience in
this gripping, vivid portrait of apartheid-era struggle. Undeniably moving
and surprisingly funny, this modern classic by Tony Award-winners Athol
Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntoshona celebrates hope, passion, and the
strength of friendship." Click on the image for more details. Blood Knot, The Train Driver and My Children! My Africa in New York The Signature Center has Athol Fugard as its inaugural Residency One playwright. The Residency series will feature Blood Knot, My Children! My Africa! and the New York premiere of The Train Driver. Fugard will direct Blood Knot and The Train Driver, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson will direct My Children! My Africa!
Blood Knot is on 31 Jan- 11 Mar 2012 (see above) Click on the image for more details. The Blue Iris world premiere 2012 The world premiere of The Blue Iris is at The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa on 28 June 2012. Following a run at the festival, the play moves to the Fugard Theatre then Joburg’s Market Theatre. Directed by Janice Honeyman, the actors are Claire Berlein, Graham Weir and Lee-Ann van Rooi. Lighting design is by Mannie Manim and set design by Dicky Longhurst.
Click on the image for more details. Falls the Shadow on Sky Arts Falls the Shadow: The Life and Times of Athol Fugard had its world premiere showing at the Barbican, London on 28 May 2012. A shortened version of the film will be shown on Sky Arts soon. Master Harold in San Diego, USA Living Light Theatre present Master Harold... and the Boys in the Lyceum Theatre, San Diego from 11- 20 May 2012. Austyn Myers directs and Shaun T. Evans plays Sam and Vimel Sephus plays Willie. "This wonderful piece is set in the racially divided South Africa of apartheid. It centers on a white teenage boy and his relationship with his two black servants. The shadow of racism and bigotry as it is passed down through generations then absorbed into one's culture without ever deliberately choosing to accept it; looms over the three as the future of their friendship comes into question in a moving and powerful narration that only Fugard could deliver. Moving deftly between comedy and tragedy, this story celebrates the light of the spirit within each of us, and the courage to choose love. Of all of his plays, none is more personal than Master Harold and the Boys because it relates to a boyhood incident of his which haunted him for years until he tried to atone by writing this play in 1982." Click on the image for details. Falls the Shadow, world premiere in London, UK Falls the Shadow: The Life and Times of Athol Fugard has its world premiere showing at the Barbican, London on 28 May 2012. The film will be introduced by producer Eric Abraham.
"We mark the 80th Birthday of one of the world's most performed
playwrights with the world première of Tony Palmer’s new film on the
celebrated writer, actor and director Athol Fugard. The film is directed by Tony Palmer. Click on the image for more details. Playland in St Louis, USA Playland will be performed at the Mustard Seed Theatre, St. Louis, MO from 2- 12 Feb 2012. My Children! My Africa! in New York, USA Juilliard's Drama Division presents My Children! My Africa!, directed by Jonathan Rosenberg. It is on from Feb 2012. More details when available. The Road to Mecca Broadway premiere Roundabout Theatre Company present the Broadway premiere of Athol Fugard's The Road to Mecca. The actors are Rosemary Harris, Jim Dale and Carla Gugino. The director is Gordon Edelstein. It is on at the American Airlines Theatre with previews on 16 Dec 2011 and the official run from 17 Jan - 4 Mar 2012. "In a desolate stretch of the Karoo Desert in South Africa, an elderly woman has turned her home into a higly personal work of art. The townspeople are threatened by her eccentricity and want to send her to an old age home, but a younger woman, a kindred spirit, wants to save the woman and her home." Click on the image for more details. Blood Knot in North Carolina, USA There is a workshop presentation of The Blood Knot at the Cobb Rehearsal Studio of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts on 17- 19 Nov 2011. It is directed by Robert Francesconi and features members of Studio 4. "This 1961 revolutionary breakthrough play established Athol Fugard as one of the world’s great living playwrights. Set in apartheid-era South Africa in the 1950s, it is about the soul-searing effects of racism on two half-brothers – one light skinned, the other dark." Master Harold... and the Boys in San Francisco, USA Off Broadway West Theatre Company presents 'Master Harold'... and the boys. It is at the Phoenix Theatre from 15 Oct- 19 Nov 2011. The director is Richard Harder and the actors are LaMont Ridgell, Anthony Rollins-Mullen and Adam Simpson.
"Although the action all takes place in real time, Fugard will often
depict entire scenes as remembrances of places and events that are so
vivid that they take flight in one’s own imagination (aided by nice
lighting changes by Sam Saunders). Never before have recitative passages
of a dance competition or the flying of a kite been so eloquent or
metaphorically significant! Of course, the lines are only as good as
those who deliver them, and one can’t imagine a more inspired casting
choice than LaMont Ridgell as Sam. His wonderfully expressive facial
gestures, body movement and speaking voice exude such passion for life
that he’s a joy to behold. He successfully evinces the dignity and wisdom
required of the role, and conveys a convincing paternal affection for both
Hally and Willie." (by Gregory M. Alonzo in
StarkInsider on 16 Nov 2011). Click on the image for more details. Master Harold in San Diego, USA Community Actors Theatre in San Diego present Master Harold from 8- 30 Oct 2011.
"The heart wrenching story of a young White student who is caught up in
emotional turmoil, makes perhaps, the inescapable move from innocence and
childhood to poisonous bigotry." |
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