Audiences found themselves contemplating the issue of racism during Friday’s showing of “‘Master Harold’ ... and the Boys” at Wharton Center.
The play, which takes place in a restaurant during the apartheid era in South Africa, tells the story of three friends who struggle to overcome the institutional racism that threatens to tear their friendship apart.
The setting of the play was simple. It had a restaurant, complete with a few tables with white tablecloths, a chalkboard menu and an illuminated jukebox, which occasionally played ’50s music. The simplicity of the set allowed audiences to focus solely on the characters.
The characters were believable and touching and did a phenomenal job with their roles.
Actor Gavin Lawrence, who portrayed Sam, shined in his role. Lawrence was especially great at delivering profound monologues that discussed racism and how it can become ingrained in people, the latter of which was perfectly demonstrated by actor Justin Dietzel, who played Hally.
MSU alumna Becky King, a teacher at Midland High School, said she brought her world literature students as a field trip to the play because of the way the discussed race issues connected to her lessons.
King said she teaches her students “‘Master Harold’ ... and the Boys” because of the relevant themes and overall quality of the work., written by Athol Fugard.
“It gives us a lot to talk about in class, especially in regards to the discrimination against blacks in South Africa during the time,” she said. “Fugard was a very political writer and so when he wrote the play ... he wanted to make a statement, basically, about the inequity and the system.”
Arts and humanities freshman Megan Nicholas, who was in King’s class last year, said she really enjoyed learning about the play in class.
“I liked the shortness of it because that’s always good, but also the historical aspect to it, and the fact that there’s only three characters so you feel very personable with those characters and get really close to them,” she said.
After watching the play, King said she thought it was very well done. She noted that it was different from what she pictured in her mind, but she really liked the set and the way the main character was portrayed.
King also said she enjoyed hearing the music and seeing the dancing, as that’s a bit harder to envision when reading and studying the play.
Emily Fisher, one of King’s current students, said she also really enjoyed the play.
“I thought that the message was very powerful, and to know when ( Fugard) wrote it in, you know, the Marilyn Monroe ‘50s times, I thought it was an amazing reflection and just made you think now still that the message is still very clear,” she said.
