Athol Fugard, South African Playwright Who Spoke to Worldwide Audiences, Dies at 92

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Legendary South African playwright Athol Fugard, creator of plays such as “Master Harold”…and the Boys,” “The Road to Mecca,” “Boesman and Lena,” and “A Lesson From Aloes,” passed away this past Saturday at the age of 92.

Although the reason for his demise wasn’t revealed, it was confirmed by the South African government that Fugard had passed away. They stated that South Africa mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished literary and theatrical figures whose work significantly influenced the cultural and social fabric of our country, as reported by AP.

Fugard showcased profound, heart-wrenching depictions of life in apartheid South Africa on global stages like Broadway, spurring international outrage that ultimately contributed to the dismantling of this system within the country. In doing so, he expanded the reach of South African playwriting beyond its borders. Aside from being a playwright, Fugard was also an actor and director, and many of his works were later turned into movies.

2014 saw NPR labeling Athol Fugard as South Africa’s equivalent of Tennessee Williams or Eugene O’Neill in a biographical piece.

In the beginning, Fugard’s work drew criticism because it prioritized symbolism over well-developed characters. To address this feedback, he experimented with his style for a while, but eventually returned to creating traditionally structured plays. Similar to other writers of his generation from South Africa, he encountered a creative dilemma when apartheid ended. Starting in the early 90s, his plays became more introspective and personal.

Fugard was often recognized for his playwriting and directing with Tony nominations, yet he didn’t take home a competitive Tony. However, in 2011, he was honored with a Special Tony Award as recognition for his lifelong achievements.

The play “Boesman and Lena,” set in South Africa, tells the story of a bi-racial couple displaced from their land by whites, surviving by eking out an existence on the River Swartkops’ mudflats. This production was presented Off Broadway in 1970, where it garnered an Obie Award for best foreign play for its writer Athol Fugard. Additionally, director John Berry and actress Ruby Dee received awards for their roles in this production, which also featured James Earl Jones.

1973 saw the South African screen adaptation of the play, featuring Athol Fugard as Boesman and Yvonne Bryceland as Lena. However, this movie didn’t hit U.S. screens until 1976. Fast forward to the year 2000, when “Boesman and Lena” was re-made as a film under the direction of its original Off Broadway leader, Berry, with Danny Glover and Angela Bassett stepping into the roles.

Although “Boesman and Lena” has been adapted into films, it’s generally viewed as one of Athol Fugard’s lesser-known works compared to pieces like “A Lesson From Aloes,” “Master Harold”…and the Boys”, and “The Road to Mecca.” However, a 1989 production at Montclair, N.J.’s Whole Theater garnered praise from the New York Times due to the timeless relevance of its themes on homelessness and female abuse, which had become poignant in an American context.

I made my Broadway debut in 1974, starring in “Sizwe Banzi Is Dead” and “The Island,” shows I also directed. Both productions earned Tony Award nominations for Best Play, while I received individual recognition as a Best Director nominee for both.

In 1980, the Broadway debut of ‘Aloes,’ a play by Athol Fugard, began, marking his third nomination for a Tony Award for Best Play. The New York Times praised Fugard’s ability to capture the essence of life in a seemingly God-forsaken world, particularly that of apartheid-era South Africa. Despite its political context, the play’s power and truth transcend its native land. Critics consider ‘Aloes’ one of Fugard’s finest works, if not his very best. The characters in this play face exile, madness, and isolation as their only options. What sets ‘Aloes’ apart is Fugard’s portrayal of the courage and integrity inherent in these harsh choices. With a style reminiscent of Beckett, Fugard masterfully explores humanity amidst apocalypse using concise, straightforward, and occasionally humorous dialogue.

In 1982, “Master Harold” and the Boys made its Broadway debut under Fugard’s direction, following an explosive response at New Haven’s Yale Rep, earning the writer his fourth nomination for best play and another for directing. This powerful anti-apartheid piece was revived on the Rialto two decades later. In 2003, EbMaster questioned whether this work, and Fugard’s entire body of work leading up to the end of apartheid, remained relevant. The answer, according to EbMaster, is a tentative yes. The play focuses on a troubled Afrikaner boy, who is both intelligent and sensitive but harbors deep-seated bigotry that could jeopardize his relationship with the black man who serves as his surrogate father and confidant. According to EbMaster in 2003, the play delves not only into the culture of a specific era and the author’s personal experiences, but also into the human condition, exploring how individuals can be warped by shame, isolation, and neglect, and how they may subconsciously seek to alleviate their pain by causing suffering in others.

In 1962, “The Blood Knot,” considered Athol Fugard’s breakthrough play, premiered in Johannesburg. This piece, which tells the story of two brothers, one with dark skin and the other able to pass as white due to his lighter complexion, received a Broadway production in 1985 under Fugard’s direction and starring himself and Zakes Mokae. The play earned Fugard his fifth Tony nomination for best play. The light-skinned brother’s experiences with passing have left emotional scars, and the racial tensions between the two brothers, stemming from their childhood differences, escalate as they both vie for a white woman. EbMaster described it as a “stark theatrical encounter.” Before hitting Broadway, the New York Times praised Fugard’s acting skills — He was “an expressive stage performer, skillfully portraying his character’s tragic aspects while also showcasing a hidden knack for comedy” — and declared that the revival of ‘The Blood Knot’ was a cause for celebration.

1988 saw “The Road to Mecca” performed Off Broadway with Athol Fugard himself, Yvonne Bryceland, and Amy Irving in the cast. A 2012 Broadway production featured Carla Gugino, Jim Dale, and Rosemary Harris. The title doesn’t refer to a sacred Muslim site but to an unconventional old widow’s garden of sculptures in the South African desert. Despite its seemingly politically neutral setting, the New York Times noted in 1988 that Fugard used Miss Helen’s simple artistic philosophy as a powerful expression of what it means to be a true artist at any time and place. As the essence of a South African playwright defying the government is mirrored in Miss Helen, so too is the spirit of anyone who perseveres in the often solitary fight for what is right. The details of the sculptures are unimportant because they don’t matter to the story.

In 1991, the film adaptation of “The Road to Mecca” was released, with direction by both Fugard and Peter Goldsmid. The movie featured performances from Fugard, Bryceland, and Kathy Bates in its starring roles.

Fugard penned the 1980 novel “Tsotsi,” which served as inspiration for the 2005 Gavin Hood movie, which won an Oscar for best foreign-language film and numerous other accolades. This story unfolds in the South African township of Soweto, focusing on a young criminal (the title translates to “thug”). As he is compelled to care for an infant, his character evolves from cold-hearted to more compassionate. Critic Roger Ebert commented that the film doesn’t romanticize poverty or attempt to make Tsotsi appear more likable; any praise it receives isn’t for transforming into a good person, but rather for stepping away from being a bad one.

Athol Fugard hailed from Middelburg, a modest town nestled in the Eastern Cape desert region of South Africa. His upbringing was under an Afrikaner mother and an Anglophone father who resided in South Africa. During his younger years, the family relocated to Port Elizabeth, a place that served as the backdrop for many of Fugard’s plays.

Fugard initially pursued philosophy and social anthropology at the University of Cape Town but didn’t complete his degree before leaving; instead, he traveled across Africa for half a year and worked as a sailor in the Far East for two years. He had always harbored a desire to be a writer, yet he didn’t delve into theater until after returning from the Far East and connecting with actress Sheila Meiring. They tied the knot in 1956 and subsequently established an experimental theater group, writing much of their own material together.

1958 marked the year the couple relocated to Johannesburg. Here, Fugard found work as a government clerk and was assigned to a Native Commissioner’s Court. This court played a crucial role in deciding, through judgments on passport infringements, the living, working, and traveling locations for South Africans of all ethnicities. These encounters served as inspiration for Fugard’s plays. As quoted by The Paris Review, Fugard said, “During my six months in that courtroom, I witnessed more pain than I could bear. I began to comprehend the mechanics of my country.

In the beginning, Athol Fugard’s plays were “No-Good Friday” and “Nongogo.” However, it was his play “The Blood Knot,” which premiered Off Broadway with J.D. Cannon and James Earl Jones in the 1960s, and was also staged in London, as well as on television in both the U.S. and U.K., that catapulted him to international fame. “The Blood Knot” marked the start of Fugard’s “Family Trilogy,” which later consisted of “Hello and Goodbye,” performed Off Broadway in 1969 with Martin Sheen and Colleen Dewhurst, and “Boesman and Lena,” staged in 1969 as well.

In the ’90s and early 2000s, following the end of apartheid, the plays he penned didn’t gain the global acclaim that his works inspired by apartheid achieved. These pieces like “Playland” (1992), “Valley Song” (1996), and “The Captain’s Tiger” (1997) were autobiographically rich. His 2002 play, “Sorrows and Rejoicings,” centered around a poet who comes back to South Africa after a prolonged absence.

In the end, he reassessed his homeland in his writings: “Victory” (2009) delved deeply into post-apartheid South Africa, while “The Train Driver” (2010) offered an allegorical reflection on the collective remorse of white South Africans towards apartheid.

In his eighties, Fugard persisted with his creative endeavors, penning the play “The Shadow of the Hummingbird” and performing in it at the age of 81, in 2014. This introspective piece drew from his personal diaries. The two-character production revolved around an elderly man who had invested heavily in intellectual pursuits and his young grandson.

In 2015, his latest production, “The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek,” which was deeply moving and thought-provoking, took the stage off Broadway. This play was inspired by the tale of an underappreciated South African artist, much like “The Road to Mecca.” As in that work, the artwork serves as a potent representation of human worth and dignity.

Besides starring in his own productions, Fugard also made appearances in the works of others. He featured in Peter Brook’s 1979 movie “Meetings With Remarkable Men,” Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning “Gandhi” (1982) as General Jan Smuts, and Roland Joffe’s 1984 film “The Killing Fields.

Survivors include his wife, Sheila.

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2025-03-10 17:48