ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602160014
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: out & about
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS BANKS
Whites against blacks.
Blacks against whites.
Blacks against blacks and on and on.
What's missing here?
Gray matter.
The clash between violent action and intellectual thought is the basis for Athol Fugard's play, "My Children! My Africa!" A metaphorical journey from ignorance to knowledge, the drama begins with a literature debate between a white middle class girl and a black high school boy from the Cookhouse ghetto.
Fugard wrote the play as a way of questioning priorities and examining the conflict between reason and reaction. Set in 1984, it was inspired by an incident that took place during the same time period in South Africa: A black teacher - an informant for the police - was taken by a black mob and burned to death.
In "My Children! My Africa!" Fugard shows how the passions and reasoning of Isabel, the young white girl, and Thami, the black youth, are indicative of larger social and political ills. Mr. M., the teacher who organizes the debate between the youngsters, leads the audience to an understanding that is both enlightening and painful.
The production features actors from A Mixed Company, an ensemble that has taken the play around the country. Leonard Stephenson has received much praise for his portrayal of Mr. M.
The group will bring the show to Haymarket Theatre in Virginia Tech's Squires Student Center for a performance Sunday at 8 p.m. It's free and open to everyone.
Athol Fugard's other notable plays include "Master Harold ... and the Boys," "Sizwe Bansi is Dead" and "The Road to Mecca." In the past decade, the playwright has established himself as the principal voice for the struggle in South Africa.
AHHHHH.... Get ready to release a deep sigh. The Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia performs this weekend.
Concerts are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. in Virginia Tech's Squires Recital Salon.
David Salness and Doris Lederer of the Audubon Quartet will join the orchestra for Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante. Works by Boccherini, Copland and Ravel are also on the program.
Tickets are $7 for adults or $5 for students and senior citizens.
CHEERS! We'll hear plenty of 'em in Blacksburg on Saturday.
Hokie fans will turn out early for the parade honoring the 1995 Sugar Bowl champs. It starts at 10 a.m. at the Virginia Tech Mall, winds down North Main Street and up Washington Street to Cassell Coliseum. Find your spot on the sidelines and fall in line when the parade passes by. Everyone's encouraged to follow the procession to the Cassell.
If you're one of the lucky ones with tickets to the big basketball bout between the Hokies and the Minutemen from U-Mass, you'll want to check out the "Hokie Celebration" at the coliseum. Sponsored by the Blacksburg Hokie Club and the local chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the event is a fund-raiser for academic and athletic scholarships. The groups raised more than $4,000 at last year's wingding.
The celebration starts at 10 a.m. in the Bowman Stadium Club and continues at half-time and following the game. Coaches, athletes and administrators will be there to sign autographs and talk sports.
Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for kids 12 and under. That includes free snack foods. A cash bar will be available, too.
BLUES VIEWS: "I play 'em like I feel 'em."
That's how Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin explains it.
His knack for playing the blues, that is.
Margolin was the great Muddy Waters' sidekick for seven years before he started his own band in 1980. He has played his Chicago-style blues with the best of 'em: B.B. King, Pinetop Perkins, John Lee Hooker, the Blues Brothers and the list goes on.
In addition to recording with scads of legendary bluesmen, Margolin has released a fistful of solo albums. His latest, "My Blues & My Guitar," is available on Alligator CDs and cassettes.
If you haven't heard Margolin's live performance, though, you don't know what you're missing. He does, indeed, play 'em like he feels 'em.
See for yourself tonight at the Cafe at Champs in Blacksburg. Margolin takes the stage at 9, following the dinner music by Wyly Jones and Karl Sann.
The cover charge is $5.
NINE IS FINE: When you're talking guitarists, nine might even be divine!
The Radford University Guitar Ensemble, a nine-member group directed by Robert Trent, performs Thursday at 8 p.m. in Preston Auditorium. In addition to works by the whole group, the program also includes multiple guitar duos and quartets.
A suite from George Bizet's opera, "Carmen," highlights the performance. It also features a dance piece choreographed by Margaret Devaney, head of the university's dance department, and a special arrangement by Trent.
Tickets are $3 for adults, $1 for children and free with Radford University identification.
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