Word: fugard
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Examples of homosexuality or suicide come to mind--problems we can empathize with although they don't necessarily touch our lives directly. The case of bigotry, however, stirs emotions by touching a deeper nerve that is all too familiar to many people. In MASTER HAROLD..and the boys Athol Fugard forces us to probe not only the problem, but also our own psyches...
...Fugard, a white South African, sets the play in his native country in 1950, a time when the specter of apartheid was practically ignored by, if not unknown to, much of the rest of the world. The pain and anger expressed sounds a chillingly realistic note, as we share the author's largely autobiographical introspection...
...sentence. Sam epitomizes Fugard's profound irony: Master Harold, insecure and ashamed of his situation, is pitied by his Black servant, who in turn, despite his position, retains pride and human dignity...
...acting is faultless, thus leaving the audience free to immerse itself in the actual drama. Jones's thoughtful and patient Sam contrasts with the frenetic Hallie, and the two make a curious yet perfect match. Director Fugard gives Lindo a side seat, where he peppers the play with his humorous antics and allows Sam and Hallie's relationship--the center of the action--to emerge unhindered...
...succeeds, then the play represents Fugard's conviction that the human heart can conquer all obstacles. But if he doesn't, if Hallie slips away into a world of prejudice and fear, then we must concur with Hallie's statement, "Life's a fuck-up and it's never going to change...