MY CHILDREN! MY AFRICA! Comes to Austin Shakespeare Next Month

Austin Shakespeare will stage Athol Fugard’s searing and thought-provoking drama My Children! My Africa! at the Long Center’s Rollins Theater on Saturday, November 15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 16 at 3 p.m. The production stars celebrated Austin actor Marc Pouhé as “Mr. M” under the direction of Artistic Director Ann Ciccolella.

“Performing Fugard’s words is both a privilege and a responsibility,” Pouhé said. “My Children! My Africa! demands that we confront difficult truths but also holds space for compassion and the possibility of change. It’s a play that asks us to think, to feel and to remember our shared humanity.”

Pouhé, one of Austin’s most respected actors, takes on the role of Mr. M with characteristic depth and intensity. Known for commanding performances with Austin Shakespeare, Penfold Theatre and ZACH Theatre, he has appeared in roles ranging from Shakespearean kings to modern-day icons.

Joining Pouhé are Nyah Adler as “Isabel” and Omari Crocker as “Thami.” Both Adler and Crocker are seniors and theater majors at Texas State University, bringing youthful passion and academic rigor to these complex roles.

Widely considered one of Fugard’s most enduring works, My Children! My Africa! was first staged in 1989 as apartheid neared its end. The play explores the relationship between Mr. M, his gifted Black student Thami, and Isabel, a white girl from a neighboring school. Their initial bond over a shared love of learning and spirited debate becomes strained as political realities intensify, forcing each to confront questions of identity, loyalty, and the cost of change. Fugard uses the classroom as a crucible, blending the intellectual with the deeply personal to illuminate the urgency of justice in a divided society.

“This is an extraordinarily gripping story by the great South African playwright who cared deeply about individuals and their aspirations,” said Ciccolella. “The teenagers are coached by ‘Mr. M,’ who has them join forces to win a literary contest. But their world explodes by the end of the play, and all of them are transformed by the experience.”

Athol Fugard, often hailed as South Africa’s greatest playwright, has spent his career chronicling the struggles and resilience of his country under apartheid and beyond. My Children! My Africa! remains one of his most frequently produced plays worldwide because of its timeless themes and deeply human storytelling.

• Dialect Coach: Amani Dorn
• Projection Designer: Johann Mahler
• Lighting Designer: Patrick W. Anthony
• Costume Designer: Cecelia Gay
• Props Designer: Stephanie Schmidt