My Children! My Africa! Begins Performances Off-Broadway

Athol Fugard’s drama My Children! My Africa! begins performances May 1 at the Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre in off-Broadway’s Pershing Square Signature Center. Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, the Signature Theatre production stars James A. Williams, Stephen Tyrone Williams and Allison Gallerani, with music by Bobby McFerrin. My Children! My Africa! is set to officially open on May 24, and will play a limited engagement through June 10.

Set in a small Eastern Cape Karoo town in 1984, My Children! My Africa! is the story of Mr. M (James A. Williams), an idealistic teacher who tries to provide a future for his gifted student Thami (Stephen Tyrone Williams). Mr. M forms a debate team with Thami and Isabel (Allison Gallerani), a motivated student from the local white school. While Mr. M attempts to help Thami, they are challenged by the generational divide and the increasing political unrest in South Africa.

The design team for My Children! My Africa! includes set designer Neil Patel, costume designer Karen Perry, lighting designer Marcus Doshi and sound designer Robert Kaplowitz.