Fugards best works, the road to mecca showcases at fugard theatre. He is best known for his political plays opposing the system of apartheid and for the 2005 oscarwinning film of his novel tsotsi, directed by gavin hood. The road to mecca by athol fugard overdrive rakuten. Beyond a spiritual journey, helens image of mecca in athol fugards play the road to mecca symbolizes helens freedom, freedom from the oppression she. The road to mecca athol fugard summary set in 1974. In the light and darkness inspired drama the road to mecca by the brilliant and original playwright as well as actor and director athol fugard, a strong dissimilarity between elsa barlow and the african woman is displayed. Athol fugard theatre hosts the 8th open book festival.
Oct 01, 2012 i welcome questions, comments, or concerns about the material contained in this video. It is based on athol fugard s play of the same name. His work is quite popular in england, and later plays, master harold and the boys 1982, the road to mecca 1984, and a place with the pigs 1987, have been staged at the national theatre. Athol fugard based this awardwinning play on the story of artist helen martins, who filled her property with statues and sculptures. Athol fugard biography list of works, study guides. The road to mecca athol fugard this is my world introducing the play the road to mecca is the story of helen, an afrikaner woman in her seventies who, since her husband stefanus died, has been obsessed with making strange but very creative statues of owls and mermaids and three wise men among other figures. A great athol fugard play i codirected it in 2000 at my old theater in california. This sunday, june 11 2017, athol fugard celebrates his 85th birthday and the fugard theatre will mark this occasion with an all south african, starstudded production of his acclaimed play the road to mecca eric abraham presents this fugard theatre production, which will run at the fugard theatre in march and april 2018 before transferring to the market theatre in. The road to mecca by athol fugard, author of master harold and the boys, tells the story of miss helen, an afrikaner widow who lives alone in the south african karoo in the 1970s. June 11, 1932, middelburg, south africa, better known as athol fugard, is a south african playwright, actor, and director. As she seems to be increasingly unable to care for herself, helen becomes the source of a struggle between the local pastor who wants to get miss helen. Fugards the road to mecca this paper is a study of the biopsychosocial processes and social systems which affect the aging of the human female, through the examination of one remarkable case study, miss helen in athol fugards play, the road to mecca. As if to challenge the force of christianity, the name of the redemptive place helen seeks is mecca, but her journey there will be through art. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
The road to mecca explores womens selffulfillment in. The play boasts a star studded cast with theatre icons such as sandra prinsloo, marius weyers. It is based on athol fugards play of the same name. Athol fugard author the new yorker has said of athol fugard, a rare. Athol fugards the road to mecca is one of the great plays of the 20th century. The road to mecca is based on a real life story of miss helen. The road to mecca by athol fugard and a great selection of related books. An elderly lady, living in literally the middle of nowhere, and fed up with small minded apartheid ideology, starts escaping into her own world of sculpting in her back yard and along with her coloured assistant malgas, creates a world of wonder in the. After spending two years at the university of cape town and working as a deck hand, fugard took up acting and then started. The road to mecca is based on a real life story of miss helen martins who is considered africas most outsider artist. With yvonne bryceland, kathy bates, athol fugard, louis van niekerk. Beyond a spiritual journey, helens image of mecca in athol fugard s play the road to mecca symbolizes helens freedom, freedom from the oppression she experienced growing up in a heavily.
Jun 29, 2010 there are many kinds of darkness, both political and personal, in athol fugard s 1985 play, inspired by the suicide of a woman who lived in the south african village where he once owned a house. The play won the 1988 new york drama critics circle award for best foreign play. When selecting a textbook, try choose books from a bookseller in the same areaprovince to eliminate or lower postage costs. The new yorker has said of athol fugard, a rare playwright, who could be a primary candidate for either the. Athol fugard the contrasting characterisation of elsa barlow and the african woman. There are many kinds of darkness, both political and personal, in athol fugards 1985 play, inspired by the suicide of a woman who lived. What does the image of mecca symbolize for helen in athol. Dec 15, 2011 roundabout theatre company will produce the broadway premiere of athol fugard s the road to mecca, his threeactor play about an expressive, inspirational south african woman. In the road to mecca, by athol fugard, a south african pastor and a young teacher from cape town battle over the fate of an eccentric elderly widow. Athol fugard author athol fugard was born in middelburg, south africa in 1932 and grew up in port elizabeth, the setting for many of his plays. Valley song, and through this discussion demonstrate how the. Here in the lush, sensual low country of south carolina, far from the south african desert that the play uses as both setting and metaphor, athol fugards drama the road to mecca has completed. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android.
One of athol fugards best works, the road to mecca is currently on at cape towns fugard theatre. 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. With an overdrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for ataglance information about availability. Roundabout theatre company will produce the broadway premiere of athol fugards the road to mecca, his threeactor play about an expressive, inspirational south african woman. Download the road to mecca athol fugard ebook 2406 books found matching search.
Athol fugard was born in middelburg, south africa in 1932 and grew up in port elizabeth, the setting for many of his plays. Jan 22, 1996 a great athol fugard play i codirected it in 2000 at my old theater in california. May 07, 2014 athol fugards the road to mecca is one of the great plays of the 20th century. In 2006, the film adaptation of fugard s novel tsotsi won an academy award for best foreign language film. The road to mecca edition 1 available in paperback. Fugards long road to a mecca revival the new york times. Dive deep into athol fugards the road to mecca with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. The road to mecca currently on at cape towns fugard. But we also learn about love and friendship and the people who experience these blessings.
The road to mecca, by 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. Inspired by a vision, she has decorated the walls of her home with broken glass, and filled her garden with her cement sculptures, all facing east towards mecca. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the road to mecca. The road to mecca edition 1 by athol fugard 9780930452797. His wife, sheila fugard, and their daughter, lisa fugard, are also writers. Acclaimed as the greatest active playwright in the englishspeaking.
In the statement theres nothing sacred in a marriage that abuses the woman p23, elsa expresses her feelings towards womens rights, because these rights are. Eng1501 when rain clouds gather and the road to mecca facebook. Fugard in his play shows helens creations as a glorious, makeshift oasis of creativity and life force and elsa, his character, sees helen as an example of freedom and transcendence. Read the road to mecca by athol fugard for free with a 30 day free trial. The title character in dimetos, one of the few athol fugard plays that has not yet been performed in the united states, lives on a. The road to mecca womens rights the play the road to mecca by athol fugard is a feminist play that expresses the struggle for freedom, identity and meaning through personal fulfilment. Eng1501 when rain clouds gather and the road to mecca. The road to mecca 9780930452797, 9781559366922 vitalsource. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Fugard has also written screenplays and a novel, tsotsi 1980 which was adapted to the screen in 2005 and received an academy award for best foreign. The road to mecca the road to mecca athol fugard this is my. Complete summary of athol fugards the road to mecca. Athol fugard frsl ois born 11 june 1932 is a south african playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as south africas greatest playwright. The characters in the play bring life to helens struggles as she.
I welcome questions, comments, or concerns about the material contained in this video. The road to mecca summary the road to mecca is a play by athold fugard that dramatizes the life of helen martins, an elderly south african woman who refuses to go to a nursing home, instead. May 28, 1987 here in the lush, sensual low country of south carolina, far from the south african desert that the play uses as both setting and metaphor, athol fugard s drama the road to mecca has completed. Jul 31, 2014 a south african pastor and a young teacher from cape town battle over the fate of an eccentric elderly widow. Valley song by athol fugard meet your next favorite book. The road to mecca library edition audio cds 9781580820 by athol fugard and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The road to mecca by athol fugard, 9780930452797, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The road to mecca, a thoughtprovoking, inspiring and magical play by south african playwright athol fugard, was inspired by the true story of. A local clergyman and a young woman visitor try to decide whether miss helens peculiar art is an outpouring of creativity or an outbreak of madness. The road to mecca 9780930452797 by fugard, athol and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The road to mecca the road to mecca athol fugard this is. The narrative is simple and fugard, as he does with all of his plays, has the capacity to hook you with simplicity. The spiritual rival here is not another religion, it is freedom, the free spirit.
One powerful scene is when helen, seated in her mecca with dozens of candles playing off glittered walls and mirrors, tells pastor marius i cant reduce my world. The road to mecca by athol fugard is based on the life of a real south african woman, helen martins, whose elaborately decorated home, the owl. The road to mecca by athol fugard is based on the life of a real south african woman, helen martins, whose elaborately decorated home, the owl house, is now a museum. A south african pastor and a young teacher from cape town battle over the fate of an eccentric elderly widow. In the road to mecca we learn about conformity and eccentricity and how people who stray from the normal accepted road are judged and condemned for merely being themselves. His debut as a film director was the road to mecca 1992.
An incandescent drama by south africas most celebrated playwright. Save up to 80% by choosing the etextbook option for isbn. It was inspired by the story of helen martins, who lived in nieubethesda, eastern cape, south africa and created the owl house, which is now a national heritage site. An elderly lady, living in literally the middle of nowhere, and fed up with small minded apartheid ideology, starts escaping into her own world of sculpting in her back yard and along with her coloured assistant malgas, creates a world of wonder in the desert. The road to mecca is a play by south african playwright athol fugard. Mar 29, 2018 one of athol fugard s best works, the road to mecca is currently on at cape towns fugard theatre. The road to mecca play, a 1984 play by south african author athol fugard.
The road to mecca by athol fugard and publisher theatre communications group. Set in 1974 during south africas apartheid period, the road to mecca explores the world of miss helen as she faces artistic censorship and the loss of her personal independence. The new yorker has said of athol fugard, a rare playwright, who could be a primary candidate for either the nobel prize in literature or the nobel peace prize. In the play the road to mecca athol fugard explores the question. The road to mecca by fugard, athol abebooks passion for books. The road to mecca is a 1991 south african drama film starring kathy bates.
1441 1270 1050 190 146 1018 14 923 1289 1431 916 891 604 873 450 295 691 875 1347 452 502 891 580 545 1172 755 1307 1463 424 545 943 281