Athol Fugard
An act of atonement1950- |
Artist: Mark Wilby Location: St George’s Park Tearoom, Port Elizabeth
|
|
For the Athol Fugard memorial in Port Elizabeth, artist Mark Wilby drew inspiration from the image of the kite crafted for Hally by Sam in ’Master Harold’ … and the boys, Fugard’s only autobiographical play Picture Gary Horlor © Sunday Times On a "wet and windy Port Elizabeth afternoon" in 1950, Athol Fugard — then a teenager — insulted his friend and "surrogate father", Sam Semela, a waiter at the St George’s Park Tearoom run by Fugard’s mother. Thirty years later, haunted by shame, the now famous playwright wrote his coming-of-age play about that day, ’Master Harold … and the boys’, which premiered in the US in 1982. While still living in Port Elizabeth, Fugard met John Kani and Winston Ntshona, sparking one of the best-known collaborations in South African theatre and resulting in two of this country’s most famous plays, Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island. From The Archives Crucible Moments from Fugard's Early Life in Port ElizabethExtracts from Athol Fugard’s memoir, Cousins, shed light on the lost world of his childhood in Port Elizabeth, offering personal insight into why he came to describe himself as a "regional writer". Hitting the Big Time - Letter to Barney SimonRead Fugard’s correspondence with legendary co-creator of the Market Theatre, Barney Simon, and fellow writer, Nat Nakasa, who fell to his death while in political exile in the US. Hitting the Big Time - Mourning Jonker and NakasaRead Fugard’s correspondence with legendary co-creator of the Market Theatre, Barney Simon, and fellow writer, Nat Nakasa, who fell to his death while in political exile in the US. Hitting the Big Time - On Being Made a Doctor of English LiteratureRead Fugard’s correspondence with legendary co-creator of the Market Theatre, Barney Simon, and fellow writer, Nat Nakasa, who fell to his death while in political exile in the US. Hitting the Big Time - In Conversation on Master Harold and the BoysRead Fugard’s correspondence with legendary co-creator of the Market Theatre, Barney Simon, and fellow writer, Nat Nakasa, who fell to his death while in political exile in the US. When Brecht and Sizwe Bansi Met in New BrightonAn account by Fugard of a performance of his play, Sizwe Bansi is Dead, at St Stephen's Hall in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, in 1974. Fugard's Life TodayAthol Fugard, playwright, describes his week to Serena Davies. Life Stories Saved by Shame’Master Harold… and the boys’, the most personal of Athol Fugard’s plays, was born out of a shameful moment that took place during the celebrated playwright’s childhood in Port Elizabeth. Making the Memorial Who is Mark Wilby?Mark Wilby is an artist of many trades. He has worked in film, production design, theatrical scenic services, exhibition display, commercial photography and, of course, visual art. The Light Bulb Moment - The Artist's ConceptWilby explains how his work captures the emotions encapsulated in Fugard's famous play, Master Harold and the boys. |
