Review: Round House Theatre Tackles MASTER HAROLD… AND THE BOYS

Athol Fugard is one of the most difficult modern playwrights to perform. His shows are largely punctuated by blunt dialogue, devoid of noticeable metaphor, and rely on the creation of highly realistic scene scapes defined oftentimes by the most mundane. None of his works exemplifies this style more than his most famous work, Master Harold... And the Boys. This is what makes Master Harold such a challenging work. Round House Theatre's new revival, which opened Monday in Bethesda, tries hard but doesn't prove up to the challenge of this dense work.

A semi-autobiographical work, Master Harold chronicles a rainy afternoon spent between a white South African youth and the two black men who work his mother's tea shop. Master Harold, affectionately known as Hally, searches for anything to distract him from the boring school work placed in front of him. Though Sam and Willie, who have looked after Hally most of the young man's life, try they are unable to succeed. Hally's mind goes elsewhere when his drunken, handicapped father comes back into the picture. Only then do the harsh realities of racial structures which existed during apartheid (and arguably do still today) bubble to the surface and threaten the relationships built among the three men on stage.

There's very little wiggle room in this one-act production. The chemistry needs to be exactly right between the three actors and each needs to play with their conflicting power dynamics while giving a knowing wink to the audience. Ryan Rilette's (the Artistic Director for Round House) direction hasn't left enough layers to this political deep-dive. Too often, moments aren't given enough time to land effectively. Even more often, moments sit too long to the point that the show adds on about five to ten minutes to its runtime.

Before getting too bogged in critique, let me say the technical aspects of this Master Harold are nearly flawless. Megham Raham's (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) set is a visual treat which spans an even larger playing area than expected. The simple tea house is designed practically and functionally to the point that I'd believe it were used as an actual café between performances. Despite only having three characters and no scene changes, Ntokozo Fuzunina Kunene (The Public Theatre's The Winter's Tale), creates a dutiful trio of costumes. Each actor has multiple layers to their attire, keeping the simple pieces dynamic throughout the evening. Autum Casey (Woolly Mammoth's Baby Screams Miracle) provides strong lighting through the production, most notable when the lights of the café are turned off, leaving the performers in Casey's manufactured, but natural-looking, light.

Most notable is Palmer Hefferan's (Translations at Studio Theatre) sound design. Rarely do I notice sound design so strongly. Mrs. Hefferan so perfectly crafts the ongoing thunderstorm, however, that it was impossible not to be taken by the deft craftsmanship. The steady fall of rain is accentuated by realistic and sporadic bursts of rumbling thunder. Each thunderous moment adds an additional layer to Mrs. Hefferan's construction which remains inspiring throughout.

Craig Wallace (Round House's Father Comes Home from the Wars) anchors the cast as Sam, the more eloquent of Hally's servants. He would prove a good sparring partner if either of his scene partners seemed up for a decent spar. As the other servant, Willie, Ro Boddie (Three Sisters, No Sisters at Studio Theatre) is some dependable comedic relief. He, however, never seems to be playing with the same realism that Mr. Wallace is.

Nick Fruit (Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet) comes off very green as Hally. Oftentimes, Mr. Fruit feels more preoccupied with maintaining his South African accent (which stills mostly comes out as British) than with delving deeper into the text. Master Harold works because of Hally's unavoidable reliance on the racist structures which have benefitted him his whole life. Mr. Fruit wavers too much between naïveté and dominance that his underlying motivations are never really clear. With such a simple script, every line must be tinged with subtext or else the audience is left wondering if they should really keep paying attention.

Round House Theatre's new production of Master Harold is worth seeing, if only because Mr. Fugard's script has only become more poignant and necessary over time. Unfortunately, this revival doesn't provide enough of a directorial or performative punch to elevate this classic to new heights. Nevertheless, Mr. Fugard's script remains vital entertainment for only when we understand the oppressive structures of yesterday can we begin to dismantle those same systems today.

Master Harold... And the Boys by Athol Fugard is playing through May 6 at Round House Theatre, 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD. Tickets range from $36-$65 and can be purchased by calling (240) 644-1100 or clicking here.

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Sam Abney is a Washington, D.C. based arts professional. A native of Arizona, he has happily made D.C. his new home. Sam is a graduate from George Mason University with a degree in Communication and currently works for Arena Stage as a member of their Development team. He is a life-long lover of theater and is excited about sharing his passion with as many people as possible.

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