‘Master Harold’ Ends Tour at Chandler Oct. 4

Wendell Franklin, Clifton Guterman, and Guiesseppe Jones in the Weston Playhouse production of "Master Harold...and the Boys."

The Weston Playhouse will present its touring production of "Master Harold… and the Boys" Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Chandler Music Hall.

Considered to be Athol Fugard’s masterpiece, the play is a coming of age story set in 1950s South Africa.

"Master Harold" is a powerful examination of the impact of apartheid on the relationship between Hally, a young white man, and Sam, the black man who has been his lifelong friend. The story is about a triumph of conscience over injustice.

Winner of the New York Drama Desk and Critics Circle Awards and London’s Evening Standard Award, "Master Harold" was subsequently adapted into a television film starring Matthew Broderick and Zakes Mokae. The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company production celebrates the play’s 25^th anniversary.

Set in a family-owned South African tearoom on a rainy afternoon, "Master Harold" tells the autobiographical story of young Hally (the young Fugard) and his relationship with two black waiters, Sam and Willie, who are preparing for a local dance competition. Hailed as "shattering" by the New York Times, "stunning" by the New York Daily News and "a triumph" by the New York Post, "Master Harold" is considered a modern classic. The play is deeply theatrical, featuring masterful dialogue, an onstage rain shower, ballroom dancing and an unforgettable emotional climax.

"Fugard is a master storyteller," comments the play’s director, Hal Brooks. "This special play depicts an incident in his life which scarred and haunted him. In the deeply personal story of fear and caring in apartheid South Africa, we join Hally, Sam and Willie as they grapple with the reality of their lives while tenaciously clinging to their dreams."

There will be a pre-performance talk with producing director Steve Stettler at 6:45 p.m. in the Chandler Gallery.

For tickets, call the Chandler Box Office at 802-728-6464, or visit tickets@chandler-arts.org. Tickets will also be available at the door.

The performance runs without intermission, but before and after the show, the public is invited to visit the Chandler Gallery for "Chandler Inside and Out," a historical photographic tribute to Albert B. Chandler in honor of Chandler Music Hall’s centennial season.

"Master Harold" is presented by the Chandler Center for the Arts and sponsored by The Three Stallion Inn.

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