Haunting memories in Playland

BAILA LAZARUS EDITOR

Athol Fugard's plays are heavy at the best of times. Immersed in the political sobriety of apartheid South Africa, the focus on themes of violence, guilt, revenge, regret and self-pity are not easy theatre fair. So it's not surprising that Playland calls upon every emotion and strength that two veteran actors – Cecil Hershler and Tom Pickett – have to offer.

In Playland, Hershler plays Gideon, a white Afrikaner who has returned from fighting against SWAPO, the South West Africa People's Organization, in "the operational area" – the army's term for Namibia. His memories haunt him and he has been looking for a way to wipe thoughts of death off himself and start a new decade with more purpose and less guilt.

He meets Martinus (Pickett), a black night watchman, outside an amusement park on New Year's Eve, 1990. Gideon is intent on engaging Martinus in conversation, though Martinus has no interest in reciprocating. For a while Gideon is content to ramble on about his own life and eventually runs off to experience the amusement park's distraction. Pretty soon, though, he comes back to engage Martinus once again, until ugly truths about the characters' lives are revealed.

The play is a little frustrating to watch since the audience is kept in the dark about why Gideon is so intent on provoking Martinus to respond, even to the point of inciting Martinus to become violent. One knows that there are mysteries that both men would prefer not to discuss but it's not until the last quarter of the play that these stories are revealed. Thus, it's only in the latter half of the play that the actors' strengths really come out – with Hershler deftly taking his character to a near breakdown and Pickett skilfully maintaining a violence-under-control tension that soon melts into resignation, and even pity.

Once all is explained, the desperation with which Gideon has latched onto Martinus is clarified and both characters go their separate ways with the dawn.

Fugard grew up a white Afrikaner and enjoyed the privilege of advantaged citizens in an apartheid regime. But he chose a life of exploration of South Africa and then of playwrighting, using his scripts to speak out against the apartheid regime. This play demonstrates the complexities that Fugard saw in South African society and the mistake of looking at any situation in "black and white."

Playland is put on by Blind Deer Hunter/Pickett Productions and is directed by Lynna Goldhar Smith, with assistant direction by Chad Hershler (Cecil's son). It runs at Pacific Theatre, 1440 West 12th Ave, until March 22. Tickets range from $13 to $26. Call 604-731-5518.

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