| THE ROAD TO MECCA |
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About The Road to Mecca
Athold Fugard's best-known plays hinge on the debilitating effects of apartheid in his native South Africa. But that's only part of the 79-year-old provocateur's total output. The Roundabout Theatre Company has dug up a gem from 1984, The Road to Mecca, which richly explores the lives of three lonely characters caught between fear and the path to fulfillment. Gordon Edelstein's meticulously assembled production and top-notch cast take the audience on a deeply moving journey.
Set in 1974, the play is inspired by the real life of Helen Martins, who transformed her home in a remote part of South Africa into her own Mecca, creating a garden full of concrete sculptures and mixing colorful ground glass into the paint she spread across her walls. Although we don’t see her garden, it comes alive thanks to designers Michael Yeargan (set) and Peter Kaczorowski (lighting), who resplendently re-create her vibrant interior world. As does Rosemay Harris, figuratively speaking, who plays Miss Helen. Having had some trouble looking after herself, this staunchly reclusive character is now under pressure to leave the house that's a reflection of who she is and move into a room at a church-run retirement home.
Leading the charge is Marius Byleveld (Jim Dale), a minister nursing an unrequited love for Miss Helen, while her young friend Elsa Barlow (Carla Gugino), a simpatico spirit, tries to persuade her to keep her world intact. Describing the simple plot doesn't do justice to the richly flawed characters Fugard has created, or to the carefully calibrated performances from this terrific trio, especially Harris, who navigates her character's complex, even contradictory, strengths and vulnerabilities with aplomb. Edelstein elucidates the play's themes without letting them overpower the characters' struggles, as each searches for his or her own personal Mecca.
If you travel to South Africa's Karoo region, you can experience the splendor of the Owl House, Helen Martin's former home. If not, take in the brilliance of The Road to Mecca.
BY DIANE SNYDER
Visit the Site
http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/broadway/theroadtomecca/
Cast
Rosemary Harris, Carla Gugino, Jim Dale
Open/Close Dates
Opening 12/16/2011
Closing 3/4/2012
Box Office
212-719-1300
Theatre Info
American Airlines Theatre
227 W. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10036
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