The Syringa Tree 2000

by Pamela Gien



THE SYRINGA TREE is a personal, deeply evocative story of an abiding love between two families—one black, one white—and the two children that are born into their shared household in early 1960s South Africa. With both humor and palpable fear, six-year-old Elizabeth Grace tries to make sense of the chaos, magic and darkness of Africa. At first seen through the eyes of a child, the story of these families’ destinies spans four generations, from early apartheid to the present-day free South Africa. As originally conceived and performed, one actress plays all twenty-four characters. The play may also be performed by a company of actors, playing several roles or not as desired.