Victory

The Fountain Theatre and Athol Fugard have an ongoing relationship. In fact, Fugard considers the Fountain his American home. Quit a feat for a small but multi award-winning 99- seat theatre on the outskirts of Hollywood. Judging by the current production Victory I can understand why. Stephen Saks, Artistic Director and director of Victory, previously produced and directed Foulard’s Exits and Entrances that garnered multiply awards. Fugard has given Sachs the exclusive U.S. rights to produce this current offering.

After apartheid ended Fugard was faced with a dilemma. What was the world famous playwright who was renowned for writing plays about the oppressive apartheid system in South Africa, going to right about.  Mandela was free and reconciliation was underfoot. But many of the racial hostilities were driven underground and disparities between whites and non-whites did not disappear.  Fugard had found his subjects and could write with sorrow, compassion, and fever about what he observed. One play that has resulted was in
the ironically- titled Victory.

The story is a simple one and only takes an hour or so to tell. Two young blacks, a man Freddie (Lovensky Jean Baptiste) and a strung out, highly distraught girl Vicky (Tinashe Kajese) break into the house of Vicky’s moms “master’ in the old days, looking for cash. Vicky’s mom was a servant in this house but it turns out was very close to the “mistress” of the house until they both subsequently died leaving a bereaved old man, Lionel Bensen (Morian Higgins), alone in the house. Well the old man awakes and a struggle, both physical and psychological, ensues with tragic results. There are no winners but the whole question of hope and how to deal with the past are explored.

The performers are first rate. Especially moving was the hyperkinetic Tinashe Kajese as Vicky. Tinashe was originally from Zimbabwe and brings great authenticity to her role. Her accent though is so thick at times it is hard to understand but we understand anyway given the clarity of her performance. Jean-Baptiste is downright scary as Freddie but he gets us to understand his pain. Higgins is outstanding as Bensen and is obviously Fugard’s “stand-in”. I wonder what were the true circumstances of the events in the play. Stephen Sachs directs with precision and passion, keeping things taut and moving to the tragic conclusion.  At The Fountain Theatre until March 23.