The Road to Mecca
Will have too short a run! Athol Fugard based his play on Helen Martins, an eccentric woman who lived in New Bethesda, an isolated, reactionary Afrikaner village in the Great Karoo. Docile in public, she asserted herself through art: statues in her garden, choirs of candles in her home. To the villagers, her "hobby" was a sacreligious nightmare. The San Diego Rep's production's lighting and musical effects unsubtly signal important moments beforehand. But the acting is special. Kandis Chappell IS Miss Helen, who (like Lena in Fugard's great Boesman and Lena) finally stands her ground - and radiates. Amanda Sitton IS Elsa Barlow, the schoolteacher so principled she attacks all injustices (and to whom New Bethesda is a nightmare). As Marius Byleveld, local church official, Armin Shimerman gradually reveals motives both oppressively sinister and deeply personal. This trio commands the stage and, under Todd Salovey's direction, creates a piece of chamber music, dissonant and threatening, and ultimately stirring.
Critic's Pick
When
Ongoing until Sunday, October 17, 2010
Hours
| Sundays, 2pm & 7pm |
| Wednesdays, 7pm |
| Thursdays, 8pm |
| Fridays, 8pm |
| Saturdays, 2pm & 8pm |