Apartheid is an Afrikaner word that means apartness. However, it was much more than a word. Similar, in its meaning and its impact, to segregation in the United States, it was the rule of law in South Africa for almost fifty years. Ruthless in its enforcement, the South African government passed laws to keep the races (Black, Colored and White) separate. The Syringa Tree is the story of a young white South African girl growing up in 1963 at the very height of Apartheid. The author, Pamela Gien, shaped this story based on her real life experiences. We see the society of South Africa through a child’s innocent eyes. We meet her parents and grandparents. We meet the black nanny, Salamina and Salamina’s daughter, Moliseng. We glimpse Elizabeth’s white Afrikaan neighbors, and we come to know the black men and women who are allowed to be in the White Only section of Johannesburg, for the sole purpose of serving the whites. We follow events from 1963 through the student riots of 1976 to the first democratic elections in April of 1994. These are some of the facts of the play. At the heart of the play, however, is the love between two families, one Black and one White; the sacrifices they make for each other; and the horrible effects of apartheid on their lives. I cannot think of a more important time for this play to be seen. As we endure this time of fear and war, we are made painfully aware of the differences between people in the world.

In The Syringa Tree, one actress embodies twenty eight very different people. We see humanity, in its infinite variations, pouring forth from a single human being, reminding us thatwe all have a common human experience. Through the wondering eyes of Elizabeth we see the world unfiltered by politics and societal structures, and we can begin to understand how racism is taught and learned. We are made to feel the terrible toll it takes on the souls of our children.

In rehearsal, we have striven to tell this story with simplicity and truth. Elizabeth’s innocence reminds us of what is really important in this tumultuous time: the love between people no matter their differences, and the positive actions we can take as individuals against what seem like impossible odds. Apartheid is pronounced apart-hate. The Syringa Tree stands as a testament of togetherness and love. It is a play of hope made into reality.

“In 2003, the sun will continue to shine on the South African people as we build this non-racial, nonsexist and democratic country, instilling in all a shared sense of nationhood and human solidarity.”

President Thabo Mbeki in his New Year Message

Michael Evan Haney