"Master Harold"...and the boy

By Athol Fugard

Directed by Kenneth Johnson

At the Lowell House JCR tonight and tomorrow

PLAYWRIGHT Athol Fugard is a master of exploring the dark side of South Africa, the degrading effects of apartheid on his fellow South Africans, white and black. Without a trace of didacticism, he creates rich, full characters struggling to find respect and happiness in the midst of injustice.

With the current production of "Master Harold"...and the boys, director Kenneth Johnson and three fine actors bring three of Fugard's unlucky men to life, and succeed in bringing a familiar message ever-closer to home.

In this 1982 semi-autobiographical play, Fugard portrays a bitter, perhaps irreparable break between Hallie (Andrew Sullivan), a clever white prep-school student, and the two black men who had become his surrogate family. Placed in a Port Elizabeth tea-room of 1950, the cast captures all of their pain with power and immediacy.

Before any of the pain, though, there is plenty of laughter. For more than half of Master Harold, the trio have terrific fun teasing each other, recalling favorite memories, and sharing their dreams; here, Fugard creates touching, often hilarious moments of humor and intimacy.

THE PLAY STARTS OFF lightly indeed. Sam (John Keene) and Willie (Timothy Benston), the two employees of the St. George's Park Teahouse, are alone at work, talking and preparing for an upcoming ballroom-dancing competition. With great spirit, they practice the quick-step and kid each other about dance partners. Keene and Benston develop a pleasant, relaxed rapport, and clearly define their characters--Sam is the gentle, wise adviser to the more clownish Willie.

Even better is Sullivan who soon enters as Hallie, the son of the owners of the teahouse. Right away, he strikes the perfect stance between sweetness and precocious brattiness; Hallie shows off his cleverness to Sam, but he also looks for Sam's approval. It's clear that though Hallie instructs Sam, somewhat condescendingly, on bits of history and geography, the man has become somewhat of a father-figure for the boy. Keene and Sullivan convey this bond with great charm and naturalness.

Gradually and quite gracefully, Hallie's family troubles are revealed--his parents argue all the time and his father is a cripple with a serious drinking problem. Tensions ensue as Hallie can find no release for his family-related frustrations; he lashes out and humiliates himself by humiliating Sam and Willie, the only two people around to give him support.

The actors handle this difficult material skillfully; Sullivan is especially good at sustaining and timing Hallie's disturbing descent into cruel racism. The threesome falter but once, as they move toward the climax of the play. They need to take more time, to let each line sink in, and we would feel the shattering moment with all of its power. All in all, though, director and cast do great justice to Master Fugard.