Playwright Pamela Gien grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa during the height of apartheid. In her semi-autobiographical play, “The Syringa Tree,” Gien follows the relationship between Lizzie, a six-year-old from a white liberal family, and Salamina, her black nanny.
Beyond presenting a vision of life for blacks and whites in apartheid South Africa, “The Syringa Tree” is an acting tour de force for Pamela Gien, who plays more than twenty characters throughout the course of her one-woman show.
She recently spoke with Neal Charnoff about the play, which is currently being produced at the Weston Playhouse.
(To hear Neal’s interview with Pamela Gien, click on the “Listen” icon.)