BWW Reviews: THE SYRINGA TREE at Trinity Rep

The Syringa Tree is ostensibly, about life in South Africa during Apartheid. More basically, it is a story of “cause” and “effect”. The playwright conveys the horrors endured by one extended family as seen through the eyes of Lizzie, a young white girl.  Lizzie is six years old and does not know what Apartheid is or that it is the “cause” of much of the tragedy in her life.  Lizzie tells her story conversationally, without rancor.  It is a charming tale of a life lived amidst conflict.

While on her back yard swing Lizzie gives the audience, who collectively serve as a proxy for her imaginary friend, a brief inventory of her life and the people in it. Her dad is a progressive, Jewish, doctor, who is constantly busy "saving everyone's life".  Her mum, a lapsed Catholic, looks after her and the home. Right next door lives Lizzie’s very best friend. Lizzie’s constant companion is Salamina, her pregnant black nanny. 

Lizzie confides to us that traveling can be dangerous, especially at night, and has been told that when the police come to the house she should keep her mouth shut.  She isn’t really sure why.  Lizzie lets us know that we should have our “papers” in order all of the time. What “papers” or why we should have them eludes her, but she still wants us to have them.

Lizzie loves Salamina’s newborn baby girl, Moliseng, as if she were her own sister. Lizzie has been told that if anyone comes to the door she should help should Moliseng hide under the bed or up in the syringa tree.  Lizzie tries to muddle through why Moliseng is treated differently than she is, but only understands that Moliseng doesn't have "papers".

As she becomes a young woman, Lizzie’s white privilege is not enough to insulate her from the horrors of Apartheid and she becomes increasingly disenchanted with her home country.

The success or failure of the production resting squarely on her shoulders; Anne Scurria gives a beautiful, moving portrayal of the wide-eyed and wondrous Lizzie. Barbara Meek and Rachael Warren give marvelously deft performances. Tiffany Nicole Greene more than holds her own on stage and gives a strong and focused performance as Moliseng. Each of the actors weaves in and out of multiple characters, often without scene or costume change.  New characters become corporeal through changes in posture, tone, and cadence.

Dealing with emotionally intense subject matter always carries the risk of an audience shutting down or checking out. Director Laura Kepley keeps production focused on constantly moving the story forward.  Kepley could have trimmed a scene or two without impacting the story as a whole.

Part oral history, part fictionalized non-fiction and part ghost story, playwright Pamela Gien has created a story from her life experience that is, by design, incomplete.  The audience is required to listen actively and fill in the gaps of six year old Lizzie’s narrative with our own imagination.

The Syringa Tree runs through May 30th at Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater. Tickets range from $20-$65 and can be purchased at the Box Office which is located at 201 Washington St., Providence, RI, by phone at (401) 351-4242, or at www.trinityrep.com.

 

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