The Road to Mecca

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THE ROAD TO MECCA

Photo: Joan Marcus

Cititour.com Review
Athol Fugard's best-known plays hinge on the debilitating effects of apartheid in his native South Africa. But that's only part of the 79-year-old provocateur's total output. The Roundabout Theatre Company has dug up a gem from 1984, The Road to Mecca, which richly explores the lives of three lonely characters caught between fear and the path to fulfillment. Gordon Edelstein's meticulously assembled production and top-notch cast take the audience on a deeply moving journey.

Set in 1974, the play is inspired by the real life of Helen Martins, who transformed her home in a remote part of South Africa into her own Mecca, creating a garden full of concrete sculptures and mixing colorful ground glass into the paint she spread across her walls. Although we don't see her garden, her house comes alive thanks to designers Michael Yeargan (set) and Peter Kaczorowski (lighting), who resplendently re-create her vibrant interior world. As does Rosemary Harris, figuratively speaking, who plays Miss Helen. Having had some trouble looking after herself, this staunchly reclusive character is now under pressure to leave the house that's a reflection of who she is and move into a room at a church-run retirement home.

Leading the charge is Marius Byleveld (Jim Dale), a minister nursing an unrequited love for Miss Helen, while her young friend Elsa Barlow (Carla Gugino), a simpatico spirit, tries to persuade her to keep her world intact. Describing the simple plot doesn't do justice to the richly flawed characters Fugard has created, or to the carefully calibrated performances from this terrific trio, especially Harris, who navigates her character's complex, even contradictory, strengths and vulnerabilities with aplomb. Edelstein elucidates the play's themes without letting them overpower the characters' struggles, as each searches for his or her own personal Mecca.

If you travel to South Africa's Karoo region, you can experience the splendor of the Owl House, Helen Martins' former home. If not, take in the brilliance of The Road to Mecca.

By Diane Snyder


Visit the Site
http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/broadway/theroadtomecca

Cast
Rosemary Harris, Carla Gugino, Jim Dale

Open/Close Dates
Opening 12/16/2011
Closing 3/4/2012

Box Office
212-719-1300

Theatre Info
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
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