Open Rehearsal: The Court Theatre Blog
January 22, 2010
Fugard Chicago 2010
Fugard Chicago 2010 marks the rare occasion for Chicago audiences to encounter a wide breadth of work by South African playwright Athol Fugard. It begins with TimeLine Theatre Company’s production of “Master Harold” ...And the Boys (opened January 20), continues with Remy Bumppo’s The Island (opens January 27), and concludes with Court Theatre’s Sizwe Banzi is Dead (opens May 13). At Remy Bumppo’s thinkTalk blog, there’s a fabulous interview by Kelli Marino with each play’s director: James Bohnen, Jonathan Wilson, and our own Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson. Here’s a sample:
KM: How can these three Fugard works affect or reflect today’s society?
JW: All three, on one level or another, deal with racial issues. All three plays are having productions in Chicago, one of the most polarized cities in the nation. I think it would be most beneficial if we utilized the productions as a vehicle for discussing black/white relations in Chicago.
ROP: We always need to know where we came from to know where we are going. Of course racism still exists, and South African history can even reflect our own history. We have to make sure there are reminders so we will never repeat the atrocities that took place during apartheid.
JB: I think these shows collectively are a somber reminder that man will be inhumane in new ways and old ways, and that these stories must serve as sentinels, reminding us that evil is always dancing somewhere. But more importantly, these plays are a study, and reminder, in the power of a compassionate response within dire circumstances.
Read the full interview here.
Sizwe Banzi is Dead opens May 13 at Court Theatre
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