MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA!
The play opens with a debate between two prize students: Thami Mbikwana, a master orator from a poor black township, and Isabel Dyson, a white student visiting from a neighboring school. Their debate over whether women should receive the same education as men is moderated by the brilliant Mr. M, who warns them that they should never let their argument devolve into a shouting match–that they should always rely on reason to express their views.
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Under Terry McCabe’s direction, Wisdom Bridge Theatre’s production of My Children! My Africa! retains all the power and emotion of Fugard’s script. Ernest Perry Jr. as Mr. M, Tab Baker as Thami, and Michelle Elise Duffy as Isabel deliver compelling performances, their diction and dialects impeccable. There is not a dishonest moment in the entire evening. The performers’ interactions are thoroughly believable, and you can see them savoring every word of the script.
