By Reena Dutt
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 29, 1997

'Valley Song' hits a flat note

Photo courtesy of Tim Fuller Arizona Daily Wildcat Jerome Kilty and Tamilla Woodard star in the Arizona Theatre Company's production of Athol Fugard's "Valley Song," running Oct. 18 to Nov. 8.

"Valley Song," currently being performed by the Arizona Theatre Co., is a play addressing the issue of post-Apartheid freedom. The performance (about an hour and a half long) forgoes an intermission to examine the life of a two-person family in Karoo, a semi-desert region in South Africa.

There are only two actors present throughout the entire play. Tamilla Woodard, who plays the role of Veronica Jonkers, is an off-Broadway actress. Jerome Kilty, who plays both Abraam Jonkers and the white neighbor, is a Broadway actor who has starred in several productions, as well as written and directed a few works of his own.

Kilty actually plays two distinct, multicultural roles in "Valley Song." Although his light complexion did not gel with the African accent at first, the color of his skin lost importance as the play evolved. One minute he was talking about the miracle of pumpkin seeds and the next minute he turned into a white man whose mannerisms depicted the sophistication with which he was raised.

Veronica Jonkers is a teen-ager who dreams of becoming a singer. She lives with her grandfather, Abraam, who has dedicated his life to farming, and opposes her pursuit of her dream.

Veronica, a bubbly girl, serves as a reminder of the over-exaggerations of the theater. She thumps around on stage creating a lasting impression, but unfortunately, comments after the performance such as, "Jeez ... talk about overacting ...," are not necessarily compliments. Woodard, sporting the simplistic beauty of a dreaming teen, just overdoes it. At times, it is difficult to watch the massive grin spread across her face. Listening to her call her grandfather "Opaaaaaaaaahhh!" every single time she addresses him is also grating.

On the other hand, the playwright, Athol Fugard, uses music as an underlying motif throughout the play, in order to show Veronica and Abraam's evolving relationship over a period of days. Although "Valley Song" is not a musical, Woodard does a beautiful job with her voice. The play begins with a childlike, untrained voice singing songs that have no sentimental meaning, but ends with soothing and emotional melodies, representing the beginning of Veronica's adulthood.

"Valley Song" is performed with no set changes. The set is built to look like a desert-farming area. It's basically a fenced-in stage in natural colors (mostly brown). As with the set, the costuming is also simple in style. Again, there are no extraordinary costume changes and the simplicity only helps the storyline become the main focus.

However, watching this play without an intermission is not a great idea. If the simplicity of the set and costumes were matched up with realistic acting, the idea of control being passed from the Apartheid to the grandfather would have made a greater impact. Unfortunately, when two New York actors are put together on a stage, the output is not always suited for realism.

For more information on show times and ticket information, call the Arizona Theatre Co. box office at (520) 622-2823.