On January 13, 14 and 15, Allentown Public Theatre will again present our unique production of The Island, this time at the IceHouse (56 River St) in Bethlehem.
After first performing the play last April at the Arts Park, Christ Lutheran Church and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Allentown, the original cast of actors (Ryan Fields and Jamil Joseph), dancers (Chiedu Mbonu and Theophilus Timothy) and percussionist (Vernon Mobley) return to present this classic with a modern twist.
First written in 1973 under the racist system of South African apartheid, The Island is an award-winning play about two political prisoners on Robben Island – the notorious prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 27 years.
Those who resist apartheid’s injustices face hard labor and punishment at the hands of the guards.
And in the very heart of this turmoil, John (Joseph) and Winston (Fields) decide to put on a play. The Island tells the amazing story of two prisoners who find their voice in the Greek tragedy Antigone.
In APT’s production, an ensemble of modern-day, American prisoners (Mbonu, Mobley and Timothy) frames the story with musical interludes.
Through drumming and dance, Allentown Public Theatre brings The Island’s legacy to present-day America – where racial tensions and corrupt prison systems are far from gone.
“It’s amazing how many more parallels I can see this time around,” says director Anna Russell. “After the recent elections, somehow apartheid doesn’t seem so far away.”
Dancer Theophilus Timothy is especially glad to be reviving the production in January, a week before the presidential inauguration. “We feel that the power of stories and voices of all types needs to be given back to the individual. If we show and empower just one person to share their voice… there is nothing more inspiring.”
Dramaturg and Choreographer Chloe Cole-Wilson adds: “Taking a look at the past and how it has affected our future is important in this time of uncertainty. Finding the parallels between the past and present is critical to our well-being.
"One of our biggest tools of protest is art. We must use this to inspire our communities to rise up for change.”
Russell agrees: “Now, more than ever, it is important for stories like this one to be told. People need to know that it is possible to resist oppression. It is possible to hope. Even in the midst of chaos and fear.”
The Island will appear as APT’s own contribution to our Lehigh Valley arts series Voices of Conscience: Toward Racial Understanding.
Admission is pay-what-you-will. Friday’s and Saturday’s performances are at 8pm, and Sunday’s is at 2pm.
For more information, visit allentownpublictheatre.com
The Island
By Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona
The human spirit that conquered apartheid still lives.
“Spare and thought-provoking.” – The Morning Call