Comings and Goings

Saw the New York premiere of Athol Fugard's Exits and Entrances. Other than reading "Master Harold"...and the boys in college, I only knew him as the white South African playwright. This is the first production I've ever seen of any of his plays. It had its world premiere at The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, and it retains the original director and two actors. It has also toured to Santa Barbara, Florida and New Jersey. From the information I gathered from the program, it has only been played in the United States, which I find ironic since it’s an autobiographical play about a very specific time in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. I can't count on one hand how many foreign playwrights have their work premiered in America. The larger question is: Can anyone name me another African playwright? I can only think of Wole Soyinka.

Basically, this was the replacement show that got plugged in after Primary Stages got screwed over the Deuce deal. I give Andrew Leynse a lot of credit for withstanding the fallout from that. I certainly hope they don't lose any subscribers over it. Though tonight, one woman exclaimed behind me, after waiting for fifteen minutes to get her ticket, "Well, if you think I'm going to subscribe again after having wasted my precious time in line, you’ve got another thing coming." What are ya gonna do? That's what you have to deal with when the majority of your audience catches the early bird special and collects Social Security.

I don't normally read the program before a show for two reasons. First, if I need to read an insert or a long director's note explaining to me what the play is about, then they haven't done their job. When I'm abroad and see theatre in other languages, I never purchase the accompanying text or read the synopsis. What's interesting to me is what's on the stage. If the actors can't convey to an audience without words what the story is about, then they aren't doing their job either. And if I have the good luck of understanding what they're saying, I damn well better know what the play is about. The second reason is that I need something to read on the subway ride home.

That said, Fugard had a playwright's note that says his purpose in writing the play 'was the say "Thank You".' If that was his aim, I think he achieved it. Granted, that doesn't leave much room for dramatic tension, but if you're in for a delightful, little memory play about Fugard as a young playwright and his mentor, Andre Huguenet, then by all mean go. As a theatre artist, I think it has more resonance for me than for the average audience member, but it's definitely the kind of thing old folks like. It's not challenging, vulgar or hard to follow. It's like Matlock with funny dialects. Just hope no one is too pissed it ain't Murder She Wrote.