Fugard's visit left lasting impression

South African playwright Athol Fugard's visit to campus ended Sept. 23, but his presence left a lasting impression on students and faculty alike. During his stay, he explored his work and his life with student audiences, sharing insight about the history of his homeland and the beauty of his craft.\nThe itinerary of his visit included an onstage conversation about his work and his life with English professor Albert Wertheim, a reading of his work "Cousins" at the University Theatre, workshops on playwriting and acting in the Willkie Quad Auditorium and a dinner and discussion at the Honors House. \nThe events focused not only on Fugard's impact on the apartheid movement in South Africa as a result of his work, but also on his love of the theater itself.\nJunior Molly Thomas, a theater and drama major, attended the reading of "Cousins" and the dinner at the Honors House. Thomas said Fugard's visit was thought-provoking and inspiring.\n"He was such an interesting person to listen to because of his voice and what he had to say," Thomas said. "He talked a lot about just the theater, (as well as) the apartheid and South Africa. He was passionate about it. He said if you want to do something, you can do it."\nThomas said while she and other students were fascinated by Fugard, the playwright was likewise interested in the students.\n"He seemed genuinely interested to meet people," Thomas said. "He sat around and ate pizza with us."\nFugard's work, which often tackles political hot topics such as racism and ignorance, does so by showing the impact of such forces on the human spirit.\nSophomore Marie Spencer, who attended the discussion at the University Theatre, said Fugard's presence was interesting from both a social and an artistic viewpoint.\n"His life itself is like a play," Spencer said. "He writes about such political topics in such a human way. He was a fascinating person."\nFreshman Elizabeth Smith said she attended the "Cousins" reading not knowing anything about Fugard. She said she walked away with insight into his works and the motivation behind them.\n"He had a very interesting way of relating his life and his work," Smith said. "I really didn't know anything about him, but I want to read some of his work."\nMany say Fugard's campus visit will remain in the minds of students and faculty, inspiring social consciousness and a passion for theater.