'Syringa Tree' a tale of apartheid www.azstarnet.com ®
Published: 12.07.2007
'Syringa Tree' a tale of apartheid
By Kathleen Allen
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
It's not often that a play reaches out and grabs an actor by the shoulders and says, "Do me, do me."
But it happened to Belinda Torrey with "The Syringa Tree," which Beowulf Alley Theatre opens today.
"I have a background that's so similar to the author's background," she said in a phone interview from her Patagonia home. "Not only can I do this, I really have to do it. It's a real personal story for me, as well."
"The Syringa Tree," written by Pamela Gien, is the tale of two families, one black, one white, and the two children born into the household they share in 1960s South Africa, when apartheid was still a heavy albatross around the country's neck.
Gien grew up in South Africa, and though the play is largely fiction, it's based on two actual events from her life: her grandfather's murder when she was 10, and the birth and concealment of her nanny's child.
"I was raised in a house with black nannies," Torrey said. "My nanny was my rock. She left when I was around 12, and I was devastated. When I read this story, I said, 'Oh, I know this story. I know how this girl feels.' "
Though largely told through the eyes of 6-year-old Elizabeth, the one-woman play requires Torrey to play about 22 characters.
Not a big deal, she said.
"It's surprisingly easy," she said, explaining that she often assumes voices and different characters when she tells stories.
"I especially do it with my siblings," she said. "They know what's going on. People who don't know me think I've fallen off the deep end."
And while the play takes place in a particular country at a particular time in history, it's a universal one, said Torrey.
"The story spans four generations," said Torrey. "It would be unusual if there were people in the audience who hadn't experienced the loss, goodbyes, reunions, that happen in this story. Everyone is touched."
Preview
"The Syringa Tree"
• Presented by: Beowulf Alley Theatre Company.
• Playwright: Pamela Gien.
• Director: Roger Johnson.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Thursday through Dec. 15; 1:30 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 16. No performance Saturday.
• Where: Beowulf Alley Theatre, 11 S. 6th Ave.
• Tickets: $14-$19.
• Information: 882-0555 or www.beowulfalley.org.
•Cast: Belinda Torrey.
• Running time: 2 hours, plus one intermission.
● Contact reporter Kathleen Allen at kallen@azstarnet.com or 573-4128.
