Review: An Athol Fugard classic lives again in exquisite production at the Geffen Playhouse
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The historical situation of “‘Master Harold’ … and the Boys,” Athol Fugard’s apartheid-era classic from 1982, has changed.South Africa’s system of racial segregation that institutionalized white supremacy was dismantled in 1994.Fugard, who died last year, played a role in bringing international attention to the injustices of his homeland through plays that chronicled the human toll of such corrosive governmental policies.
The power of his work resides not in ideological argument or moral screed but in the observation of characters struggling to maintain their humanity in an inhuman system.Precisely for this reason, “‘Master Harold’ … and the Boys” has lost none of its emotional validity, as the exquisite new production that opened at the Geffen Playhouse on Thursday reveals.
The revival stars Tony winner John Kani (“The Island,” “Sizwe Banzi Is Dead”), a treasured collaborative partner of Fugard’s and one of the best living interpreters of his work.His performance alone makes this an unmissable event, but that’s not the only reason you should see it.At a time when many of us are struggling to see a future that isn’t just a fulfillment of the worst impulses of the corrupt, exploitative, anti-democratic present, Fugard offers a vision of perseverance and resistance.
“‘Master Harold’ … and the Boys” makes no empty promises, but it reminds us that hope is contingent on us retaining our souls.Emily Mann and Geffen Playhouse artistic director Tarell Alvin McCraney have joined forces to direct.The combination is an effective one.
McCraney has a way of drawing the best from actors in tight combustible spaces and Mann has a long history with Fugard.When she was artistic director of the McCarter Theatre, she made the Princeton venue one of his American homes.
(I saw the relationship up close several decades ago from my vantage at the thea...