'MASTER HAROLD'… AND THE BOYS Begins at Aurora Theatre Today

Aurora Theatre Company closes its 24th season with Athol Fugard's (Blood Knot, My Children! My Africa!) modern classic "MASTER HAROLD"... and the boys, beginning today, June 17, and continuing through July 17, 2016.

An ordinary rainy afternoon in 1950s South Africa turns into a profound and life-changing experience for a white teenager and his family's two black servants. At once a coming of age drama and a scathing indictment of inequality, this brilliant, searing coming of age story was called "One of those depth charge plays [that] has lasting relevance [and] can triumphantly survive any test of time...The story is simple, but the resonance that Fugard brings to it lets it reach beyond the narrative, to touch so many nerves connected to betrayal and guilt. An exhilarating play...It is a triumph of playmaking, and unforgettable" by the New York Post, and is considered by many to be Fugard's masterpiece. Not simply a polemic against the policy of apartheid, "MASTER HAROLD"... and the boys is about human relationships that are put to the test.

Former San Jose Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Timothy Near makes her Aurora directing debut with "MASTER HAROLD"... and the boys, which premiered on Broadway in 1982 and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play and was a Tony nominee for Best New Play. L. Peter Callender (Breakfast With Mugabe, The Soldier's Tale and Permanent Collection) and Adrian Roberts (Breakfast With Mugabe) return to the company, along with Andrew Humann (Shotgun Players, San Francisco Playhouse, Berkeley Playhouse), in this drama about which The New York Times said, "Fugard creates a blistering fusion of the personal and the political."

The show plays previews: June 17, 18, 22 at 8pm; June 19 at 2pm; June 21 at 7pm for an opening on June 23, 2016. Post-show Talkbacks will be held June 24, 28, July 6, 14. The production will close July 17. The regular playing schedule is Tuesday at 7pm; Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 7pm at Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA.

For subscriptions and single tickets (Previews $35; Regular Performances $32-50; Limited Opening Night Seating $60) the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org. Half-off tickets for Under 35, student, and group discounts available.

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