• “Master Harold” Comes to Weston August 30

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“Master Harold” . . . and the boys, Athol Fugard’s celebrated drama about coming of age in 1950’s South Africa, begins a limited run on the Weston Playhouse Mainstage on August 30. 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 25th anniversary, with public performances through September 8, school matinees through September 14 and a tour of Vermont and New Hampshire in early October.

Set in a family-owned South African tearoom on a rainy afternoon, “Master Harold” . . . and the boys 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.

“Master Harold” will be directed by Hal Brooks (Weston’s I Am My Own Wife and New York’s No Child . . .). The talented cast includes Guiesseppe Jones (Weston’s Fences and Of Mice and Men) as Sam, Wendell Franklin (Illinois Shakespeare Festival, TV’s Law and Order) as Willie, and Clifton Guterman (Berkeley Rep, Arena Stage, Alliance Theatre) as Hally. Brooks is supported by a creative team of Weston veterans including set designer Wilson Chin, lighting designer Stuart Duke, costume designer Kirche Leigh Zeile, sound designer Kimberly Fuhr, dialect coach Patricia Norcia and dance coach Tesha Buss. The Production Stage Manager is Melissa M. Spengler.

“Fugard is a master storyteller,” comments director Brooks. “This special play depicts an incident in his life which scarred and haunted him. In this deeply personal story of fear and caring in apartheid South Africa of the 1950’s, we join Hally, Sam and Willie as they grapple with the reality of their lives while tenaciously clinging to their dreams.”

Like all WPTC productions, “Master Harold” is complemented by an extensive education and outreach program. Director Hal Brooks will speak about the play one half hour before curtain on August 30 & 31 and on September 1 (matinee only) in the Playhouse living room. Members of the cast and crew will take part in a brief talkback with the audience following the Sunday evening performance on September 2. In addition, Bennington College Anthropologist and Africa expert Miroslava Prazak will address “Yesterday’s Promise, Today’s Realities: Post-Apartheid South Africa” at 5 pm on Saturday, September 1 in the Playhouse living room. That free lecture is part of the WPTC’s Connections and Contexts Series funded in part by the Vermont Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Finally, the theatre’s popular season performance guide is available at the box office and online at www.westonplayhouse.org.

Reservations for “Master Harold” . . . and the boys, the popularafter-show Act IV Cabaret revue, and dinner at the Playhouse’s Cafe at the Falls restaurant may be made at the Playhouse box office window, by calling 802-824-5288, or by visiting the WPTC Web site at www.westonplayhouse.org. MasterCard, Visa and American Express are accepted. Ask about Vermont resident, youth and student discounts.

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is a non-profit professional theatre supported in part by funds from the Vermont Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and an ever-growing family of individuals who believe in the impact that the performing arts can have on its community.

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30 + Day Trips Around the Black River Area

If you ever have a day when you just want to do something - but aren't certain of what, why not try some of these days trips from the area to discover some things you may have always wanted to do.  There are many more than these listed to enjoy; but this will give you a start.

(Have other suggestions, email them to editor@brreporter.com)

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