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While there is more than one journey in Broadway’s “The Road to Mecca,” Athol Fugard’s moving play set in 1974 in the small Karoo village of New Bethesda, South Africa, the focus of the story is on a 70-something artist who began sculpting after her husband died 15 years ago.
Miss Helen (Rosemary Harris), however, does not give a good first impression: She appears to not have bathed in days, with unkempt hair and no makeup. She also seems to be out of sorts as she attempts to tidy the place up a bit.
Soon, her friend Elsa Barlow (Carla Gugino), a young teacher from Cape Town, arrives. After driving about 800 miles, Elsa is not happy. She talks to Helen angrily, full of frustration. But after a few moments, the two are on good terms. Elsa energizes Helen, and the artist is so happy to see her.
It takes most of the first act to set up why Elsa has come so far. Basically, Helen’s friend, Marius (Jim Dale), a local pastor, is worried about Helen and wants her to move into a senior living facility. Helen, a recluse, does not want to, but does not have the strength to say no. Elsa attempts to show her that she is fine, that she does not have to be taken away from her home and her art (Helen calls it her “mecca”).
This is a good play featuring a trio of fine actors; all give strong performances. But the first act will be challenging for those who fall asleep easily. Fugard’s dialogue is far from dull, but there is so much of it that it does cause the mind to wander. It’s not until about 45 minutes into the show that the audience has a grasp about why Elsa is here.
The second act, however, is wonderfully intriguing. As passionate and energetic as Elsa is, Marius is calm, cool and collected. In the end, Helen has a choice to make.
What is most remarkable about Harris, aside from the fact that she is 84 and never misses a beat, is how she manages to convey such a range of emotions. We see Helen’s happiness, her fear, her uncertainty. More than that though, we see inside her mind. In the most memorable scene, Helen explains to Elsa how she creates her art: She sees a picture of the finished piece in her mind, and then creates it. Without those pictures, there is no art, only darkness. And Helen is worried that the pictures have stopped for good — that she has nothing left. That her life, her journey, is over.
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Article source: http://www.app.com/article/20120124/NJENT/301240075/-Road-to-somewhere