The Battalion LIFESTYLES 6 Thursday, October^ My Children! My Africa! Players premier Fugard production in Southwest By JOHN MABRY The Aggie Players continue their international sea son of theater tonight with the Southwest premiere of South African playwright Athol Fugard’s “My Chil dren! My Africa!.” A&M is the first university in the world to perform the latest play written by Fugard, whom Time magazine has called “the greatest active playwright in the English- speaking world.” Fugard’s other theatrical successes include “Master Harold... And the Boys,” “Blood Knot” and the recent “The Road to Mecca.” Set in a South African township classroom, “My Chil dren! My Africa!” focuses on the relationships between Mr. M, the idealistic teacher, Thami Mbikwana, a stu dent with his eyes set on political revolution, and Isabel, an upper-class English girl. In an attempt to improve the educational opportuni ties for his black students, Mr. M sets up a debate be tween Thami, his prize student, and Isabel, a student from a neighboring school. Under the guidance of Mr. M, the two then join f orces as a combined team in an English literature quiz in a local school festival. The play continues as an observation of the social and political realities in South Africa that ultimately destroy their beautiful but fragile relationship. Originally planning to use August Wilson’s “Fences,” director Roger Schultz decided instead on “My Chil dren! My Africa!” because “the show became available, it was very timely and it speaks on louder issues than ‘Fences’.” “I think the title of the play might just as well be ‘My Children! My World!’, or, perhaps even better, ‘Our Children! Our World!’,” Schultz said. “It is a story of education, birth and rebirth, and impending change, all of which come about when unreconcilable forces and beliefs are brought together. In many ways it’s mythic — the challenge of the new versus the old, the challenge of the young versus the established.” During the production of the play, Schultz kept in contact with Fugard, who is now in London overseeing the production of “My Children! My Africa!” at the Na tional Theatre of Great Britain. Fugard, who very much sees himself as Mr. M, has said “the spirit of generous reconciliation between South Africans of different skin colors has been my inspiration in writing ‘My Children! My Africa!’.” ing here,” senior theater arts major Oliver T u |l , TV-* 'J nr» 1 COI/'I “ Wm 1 Iz *• L» • 1 W plays Thami, said. “You know, there’s racism ini/ but it’s nothing compared to what’s going on ' there.” The actors independently read literature explain] the South African apartheid system and watched sei f ral films that dealt with the subject. Like the actors, costume designer Susan Kelly, p , f fessor of theater arts, also did extensive research her inspiration. “It was almost all black-and-white and color doa mentary books, books on the Soweto Uprising, forts ample," she said. “I went to photos of actual South Air cans, so the costumes are exact replicas of somethin; like Mr. M would have worn.” Thur SONDRA N. ROBBINS/The Battalion Sophomore theater arts major Jessica Lowe and senior theater arts major Oliver Tull run through their lines one more time. Lowe and Tull star as Isabel and Thami in the Aggie Players’ production of Athol Fugard’s play “My Children! My Africa!” To help the actors prepare for their roles in the play, Schultz invited three guest speakers to visit rehearsals. Tony Cheenah, a South African refugee, spoke to the cast on his personal and often painful experiences as a South African citizen. Pastor Craig Borchardt of Peace Lutheran Church explained the doctrines of Cal vinism, upon which much of white South African ideol ogy and prejudice is based. Professor Larry Yarak of the A&M history department gave the actors insight about South Africa’s people and its past. “They helped me understand the specifics of living there for a long time that I could never possibly get liv- Senior theater arts major Billy Thomas said he |» esses an additional insight to creating his roleasil Martin Luther King-like Mr. M. “Being black, I can bring more to my characterh cause if I were in South Africa, I would be treatedinik same way,” he said. “Being in the play helpedmetort alize that I am an extremely fortunate person beau* I’m here in the United States. We sometimes fom about that.” Schultz describes working with the actors as “m derful. They are three excellent artists/scholars wb have been devoted, creative and energetic." Thomas said he has enjoyed the rehearsal processa well, especially working with a small cast. “Being in such a small cast was a big push on me,It said. “You have to keep up with your fellow actors,Bin when you work with quality, you produce quality." Sophomore theater arts major Jessica Lowe, wto plays Isabel, said she hopes the insight she gained froii being involved in the production will carry over tothos who come to see it. “I didn’t know anything about South.Africa before began,” she said. “I knew that there was politicaltui moil, but I didn’t know how far it had gone. I learnedi tremendous amount from the whole experience andl think that the audience will as well.” Schultz said he hopes the audiqnce leaves with some thing else, too. “I would hope that they would leave with that will beast Mr. M calls Hope,” he said. “That there areothn ways of resolving differences than resorting to cot q4- frontation.” i /M After performing “My Children! My Africa!”foraii diences at A&M, the cast and crew will performaset trants in the American College Theater Festival law this month. “My Children! My Africa!” will premier at 8 tonight as well as Oct. 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in the RudderFo rum. I ickets are $6 for the general public and$5foi students, and can be purchased at the Rudder BoxOf fice and all Ticketron outlets. Information and resent tions can be obtained at 845-1234. Gi a B) If yo at least out an Cinde lor Yo HIGHLIGHTS Dr. Love prescribes comic relief tonight Dr. Love and the Erogenous Zones will prescribe their usual dose of humor in their show at the Flying Tomato tonight. The quintet will perform “nothing- compares-to-it” parodies of hard rock as well as original songs. Dr. Love, supposedly wanted for noise pollution and forgetting lyrics on stage, is joined by his co medic cohorts Vinnie Vomit, Hans Wulfgang Amadeus von Axe of Ulhm, Nurse Chastity and Guido. Dr. Love and The Erogenous Zones are scheduled to start their show at 9 p.m. There is a $ cover. For more information call 846-1616. perfon JR. anc this of don’t f< For i ten the you t wicked do all i ing swe named name i the ste] ters. A fa gives h slipper Prince’ Well Recording artist integrates music at Tippy $ Integrating blues, country, rock and Zydeco, Full Circle re cording artist Bobby Sheron will perform at 1 ippy’s tonight. Sheron, a native of Temple, is touring in support of his release. Bobby Sheron. Sheron is sche • uled to begin at 9:30. Tippy 81S located at 1803 Greenfield Pla# ON in Bryan. For more 846-7203. information, call Acappellaperforms sans instruments By HELEN WOLFE I he Baptist Student Union will present Acappella tonight in Rudder Auditorium at 7:30. Combining music ■"— *& and min istry, Acappella, a full-time Chris tian group, features tight har monies, innovative vocals and a no-music approach. A capella is a musical term referring to vocals ment >Ut mstrurnental a la” reached number twenty-nin e on the Christian music charts i 1986. llU r . Since then the single Than A Friend” has risen up tn charts and the albums, rors and Better Than Lw r peared in the top 40. . In 1989 the album, Fellowship, appeared « n , charts following the streng the single “Well On My Way- The Paris, Tenn., based gr records in-house at Clifty Stud ° . ah ^—Unrrc then releases; m baritone All recordings are then r clifty R e on the independent cords label. „ o; n . The goals of Acappella Jl istries are to glorify God, en ; age Christians, reach the los provide an alternative. ii Admission for the AcapF concert is free. Associate ir of the Baptist Student C eIlt ^ isl drew Buckner says the^ Student Union is covenn ^-‘ ; ’ nC all I penses. For more informatioi Rudder Tower at 845- °neToi