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March 7, 2003
Haunting memories in Playland
BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR
Athol Fugard's plays are heavy at the best of times. Immersed in
the political sobriety of apartheid South Africa, the focus on themes
of violence, guilt, revenge, regret and self-pity are not easy theatre
fair. So it's not surprising that Playland calls upon every
emotion and strength that two veteran actors Cecil Hershler
and Tom Pickett have to offer.
In Playland, Hershler plays Gideon, a white Afrikaner who
has returned from fighting against SWAPO, the South West Africa
People's Organization, in "the operational area"
the army's term for Namibia. His memories haunt him and he has been
looking for a way to wipe thoughts of death off himself and start
a new decade with more purpose and less guilt.
He meets Martinus (Pickett), a black night watchman, outside an
amusement park on New Year's Eve, 1990. Gideon is intent on engaging
Martinus in conversation, though Martinus has no interest in reciprocating.
For a while Gideon is content to ramble on about his own life and
eventually runs off to experience the amusement park's distraction.
Pretty soon, though, he comes back to engage Martinus once again,
until ugly truths about the characters' lives are revealed.
The play is a little frustrating to watch since the audience is
kept in the dark about why Gideon is so intent on provoking Martinus
to respond, even to the point of inciting Martinus to become violent.
One knows that there are mysteries that both men would prefer not
to discuss but it's not until the last quarter of the play that
these stories are revealed. Thus, it's only in the latter half of
the play that the actors' strengths really come out with
Hershler deftly taking his character to a near breakdown and Pickett
skilfully maintaining a violence-under-control tension that soon
melts into resignation, and even pity.
Once all is explained, the desperation with which Gideon has latched
onto Martinus is clarified and both characters go their separate
ways with the dawn.
Fugard grew up a white Afrikaner and enjoyed the privilege of advantaged
citizens in an apartheid regime. But he chose a life of exploration
of South Africa and then of playwrighting, using his scripts to
speak out against the apartheid regime. This play demonstrates the
complexities that Fugard saw in South African society and the mistake
of looking at any situation in "black and white."
Playland is put on by Blind Deer Hunter/Pickett Productions
and is directed by Lynna Goldhar Smith, with assistant direction
by Chad Hershler (Cecil's son). It runs at Pacific Theatre, 1440
West 12th Ave, until March 22. Tickets range from $13 to $26. Call
604-731-5518.
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