Athol Fugard

The audience of the July 12th, 2009 performance of Coming Home at the Fountain Theatre had a special treat after the show: a talk-back with South African Playwright Athol Fugard.

Coming Home, featuring the talents of Deirie Henry, Adolphus Ward, Timothy Taylor, Matthew Elam, and Thomas Silcott, tells the story of Veronica Jonkers returning to the village of her youth. Carrying her son and a tainted past along, Veronica must face the ghost of her Opa and her former self, an idealistic dreamer who left years ago to be a famous singer. Fugard says he was able to capture the disillusioned Veronica, the wise Opa, the innocence Veronica’s friend Alfred and her son Mannetjie’s old soul because the characters are based on people he knows from his home village. More than just based on people, however, Fugard confesses that their struggles and hopes, their dreams in the face of the disastrous epidemic, is a symbol for his country.

Fugard spoke for forty minutes on his experience writing the play, the current state of South Africa and the AIDS epidemic, as well as the collaborative process in the art of theatre.

Enjoy this 8-minute excerpt:

Feature Image of Deirie Henry and Timothy Taylor by Ed Kreiger. Story image of Athol Fugard by Ellen Gould-Silcott.