Athol Fugard wrote a brilliant play about the institutional and personal racism that was South African society. It made its debut at the Yale Repertory Theater
back in 1950 and it took over 30 years to get to Broadway.
This is a public television broadcast of said play and it stars African players Zakes
Mokae and John Kani as the help in a luncheon establishment in Port Elizabeth.
South Africa. The teenage son of the owner is the third character in this 3
person drama and our title character Master Harold played here by Matthew
Broderick.
Young Harold is home from school and he's got some father issues. The old
man is a drunk and a bully and he's crippled besides. He's a burden on Harold
and his mom and the business they have that supports them is her's.
The two servants have been with the family for years. But Mokae makes the
mistake of getting too familiar with the kid and he pays.
You can only imagine the shame and humiliation Broderick feels from his peers. But South African society with racism codified into their law tells
Broderick there's a whole group that he's superior too who have darker skins.
And if that's not enough there's the personal racism in which he was probably
built into his own upbringing.
This is an autobiographical work from Fugard and this televised play is perfectly cast and performed. The incessant rain in the background both explains why there are no customers and adds to a gloomy tension that the
work has.
Don't miss this if broadcast.
