The Road to Mecca

Infobox Play
name = The Road to Mecca


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writer = Athol Fugard
characters = Rev. Marius Byleveld
Elsa Barlow
Miss Helen
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date of premiere = | country of Origin = South Africa
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genre =
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playbill_event = 15137
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The Road to Mecca is a play by South Africa's Athol Fugard.

It was inspired by the story of Helen Martins who lived in Nieu-Bethesda, Eastern Cape, South Africa and created The Owl House, now a national monument.

The play was performed at the National Theatre in London and then moved to the Spoleto Festival USA in 1987 starring Athol Fugard as the Rev. Marius Byleveld, Charlotte Cornwell as Elsa Barlow and Yvonne Bryceland as Miss Helen.

Plot

Miss Helen is a widow who lives alone. Inspired by a vision she has decorated the walls of her home with broken glass which creates beautiful and calming effects while reflecting the candle light that she prefers. Outside in the garden she has created a world of cement sculptures of wise men, camels and owls all facing east towards Mecca.

This behaviour has alienated her from the conservative, Calvinist church whose local congregation views her with suspicion.

She befriends Elsa, a young teacher from Cape Town.

One night, Helen burns herself. Fearing for her safety, Elsa comes to visit. At the same time, the local pastor, Marius Byleveld, comes to help Helen apply for the local Old Age home. He is secretly in love with her and fears for her "idolatry" and her exile from the church.

However, with Elsa’s help, she decides to stay in her home.

"The Mecca metaphor speaks to the relationship between imagination and freedom. Miss Helen's candles illuminate the deep connection between creativity and light".cite web|author=Jack Coulehan|title=Literature Annotations: Fugard, Athol: "The Road to Mecca"| url =http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Annotation?action=view&annid=842|work=Literature, Arts and Medicine Database|format=Web|publisher=New York University (Revised 12 May 1996)|date=1996-11-21|accessdate=2008-03-10]

1992 film adaptation

The 1992 film adaptation of "The Road to Mecca", written by Peter Goldsmid, who also co-directed it with Fugard, starred Fugard as the Rev. Marius Byleveld, Kathy Bates as Elsa Barlow, and Yvonne Bryceland as Miss Helen.

Notes

References

* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,969074,00.html "The Best of the Decade"] . "Time". 1 Jan. 1990. Accessed 2 Oct. 2008. ["The Road to Mecca (1987). South Africa's conscience, Athol Fugard, proved his compassion is universal in this Ibsenesque conflict between a fiercely independent artist and a society justly yearning for order."]
*Fugard, Athol. The Road to Mecca: "A Play in Two Acts". London: Faber and Faber, 1985. ISBN 0571136915. ("Suggested by the life and work of Helen Martins of New Bethesda.")
*Gussow, Mel. [http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9B0DE0DC153EF935A15756C0A961948260 "Theater Review: Stage: Athol Fugard's 'Road to Mecca' at Spoleto Festival"] . "The New York Times" 26 May 1987, Theater. Accessed 2 Oct. 2008.

External links

*imdb title|id=0105266.