The Road to Mecca: A Play in Two Acts Suggested by the Life and Work of Helen Martins of New Bethesda - Softcover

Athol Fugard was born in Middelburg, South Africa in 1932 and grew up in Port Elizabeth, the setting for many of his plays. After spending two years at the University of Cape Town and working as a deck hand, Fugard took up acting and then started to write his own plays. He moved to Johannesburg in 1958, where he set up a multi-racial theatre, for which he wrote, directed and acted. His plays and attacks on apartheid have brought him into conflict with the South African government, and in 1962 he supported an international boycott against the practice of segregation of theatre audiences.Athol Fugard still lives in Port Elizabeth, and also has a home in New York. Many of his plays are published by Faber in its Contemporary Classics series.

The Road to Mecca, by the celebrated South African dramatist Athol Fugard, depicts the struggle of eccentric, reclusive Miss Helen (Julie Harris), whose friend, Elsa (Amy Irving), tries to goad her out of her depression while her pastor (Harris Yulin) attempts to admit her to a nursing home. This idea-rich play probes the concerns of old and young, liberal and conservative, and the secular and religious. The performances are all memorable; Julie Harris movingly brings out the lovable frailty of Miss Helen, and Amy Irving captures both the angry and the caring sides of Elsa. Director Steve Albrezzi's occasional use of subtle background music highlights the play's lyrical moments. G.H. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine