Archive

Identifier: MECCA2011

Inclusive Dates: 2011 - 2012

Extent:

Production Files documenting the 2011/2012 production of Athol Fugard's The Road to Mecca at the American Airlines Theatre.  Directed by Gordon Edelstein, with set design by Michael Yeargan, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, original music and sound design by John Gromada, and hair and wig design by Paul Huntley.

The production starred Rosemary Harris as Miss Helen, Carla Gugino as Elsa Barlow, and Jim Dale as Marius Byleveld.  Martin LaPlatney, Gordana Rashovich and Karen Walsh acted as understudies.

2012 Awards and Nominations:
Tony Award, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Peter Kaczorowski (nominee)
Drama Desk, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Jim Dale (nominee)

The Road to Mecca was inspired by the life and work of Helen Martins, who lived in Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa.  "After an uneventful life, [Martins] turned herself into a driven artist, covering the walls of her home with crushed glass patters and filling her yard with playful concrete sculptures of owls, sheep, camels, religious icons and imaginary beings all facing east toward Mecca... Fugard puts Miss Helen in the center of a tug-of-war.  On one side is Pastor Marius Byleveld, a local priest played by [Jim] Dale, who finds the widow's work to be idolatrous and wants to pack her off to a church retirement chome.  On the other side is Elsa, a young school teacher from Cape Town played by [Carla] Gugino, who has arrived to care for the elder woman, finding her inspiring and urging her to keep creating uncomfortable art."  --Associated Press

Production Files are contained in one deep Hollinger box consisting of 14 folders, two Playbills, a handful of marketing flyers, and a full-page photo print depicting a sculpture and view from the real Miss Helen's garden, signed as an opening night gift from costume designer Susan Hilferty to Julia (Levy).

Digital holdings on the Archive 1 server include the following folders:
Costume Photographs (Archive-created jpeg photos of all three leading characters' costumes)
Education (Pdf files of the Upstage study guide and the director's lecture)
Marketing Audience Services (Calendar and on-sale memo)
Media (Video files of interviews with the cast, director and playwright; B-roll footage and video press clips, opening night video, Marketing files [video and mp3 audio files)
Opening Night (152 jpeg files)
Patron Night Photographs (jpeg files)
Playbill (20 jpeg scans)
Production Photographs (Original jpegs and captioned selects)
Props (Archive-produced photos of props in the collection, prop preset and run sheets paperwork, and Bobby Dowling's photos from the rehearsal room and backstage)
Show Art

There doesn't appear to be a related collection of marketing materials for this production.  Contracts and other confidential documents are stored in the Contracts cabinets and access is restricted.  There is a hard copy of the poster for the production on the Poster Shelves.

The Archive has three full costumes from the show, one from each character; the costumes are stored on the Costume Racks and images of these items are on the Archive 1 server.  Props from the show are stored in on the Office Prop shelves; images of them are also on the Archive 1 server.
 

Access Restrictions: Open and available to approved researchers by appointment only. See folder details for specific restrictions.

Preferred Citation: The Road to Mecca 2011, Roundabout Theatre Company Archive