Just months before the election that saw Nelson Mandela become president of South Africa, an angry mob attacked and killed American Fulbright scholar Amy Biehl. The young men who committed the crime had grown up as part of the anti-apartheid struggle and did not know how close they were to the end of the regime. Chanting racist slogans, they murdered Biehl for no other reason than she was white.
Sindiwe Magona was inspired to write Mother to Mother when she started to imagine what it would have been like if her son had been one of the killers. In a heartfelt monologue, the character Mandisa addresses the victim's mother and explains what their lives were like and how the attack took place.
Mandisa tells of how they were forcibly resettled when she was a child, and how she works as a maid, taking care of another woman's children while her own are left to their own devices. These children are part of a generation told to burn down their schools in protest, joining in the struggle that has been around longer than they have. At a loss for something to do, and lacking adult supervision, some of them take matters into their own hands.
Thembi Mtshali-Jones plays Mandisa with authority and presence, giving an honest portrayal of the pain and anger of the situation. She also sings several unaccompanied songs, with a voice that gives one chills.
Accompanying Mtshali-Jones's powerful performance is a series of projections depicting the township of Guguletu, the various aspects of life there as well, as newspaper cuttings.This, along with occasional news broadcasts in voice-over, allows the audience to peer into Mandisa's world. The projections could have been a bit more integrated, as the small screen towards the back of the stage does not work terribly well, but some of the images used are very striking and add a lot to the production.
Some of the violent and hateful slogans from that time have been resurfacing in recent years. This heartbreaking play serves as a warning about the power of words, as well as the destructive potential of dispossessed youth.
