John Kani

The great South African actor, playwright, artistic director and humanitarian activist spoke with passion and humorTuesday at CMU, using the South African experience to urge drama students to use their education not just to entertain and make money but to work for a better world.

His account of civic, artistic and personal life under apartheid was hair-raising but also funny, with the system's absurdities veering from Kafka to Durang. His brother was killed and he was nearly so. But the state also banned "Black Beauty" because of the title. And asked why, as Othello, he actually kissed his white Desdemona, he pointed out that it was the advantage he had over Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith: Olivier's makeup would leave a smudge, "but I don't have that problem." The censor was not amused.

Running through his autobiographical history lesson was his anger and eventual incredulity when, after freedom came, Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu advocated the forgiveness of the truth and reconciliation movement. "I still carried the lump of my brother's death," he said, and the Lord's Prayer stuck in his mouth on "as we forgive those." But he learned that "the power of forgiveness is a gift for us all."

Kani noted some implications for America, both in foreign policy and here in Pittsburgh, which he said is reputed to be one of the most racist cities in America. He challenged his hearers: "Surely you have some wish to make a difference?" He was also full of praise for the American people's generosity in aid projects worldwide.

Most surprising was his optimism. One should be optimistic, having shared in the toppling of apartheid! "Hope is a beautiful word," he said. "It kept us alive for hundreds of years." (You can see more of that inspiration when Kuntu Rep produces "Sarafina!," the musical story of students against apartheid, Jan. 25-Feb. 10.)

Tomorrow Kani is using part of his last full day in Pittsburgh to see sites in the Hill District connected with August Wilson, a playwright he met and has often produced.

Bricolage and Bourne

The other two big theater events of the past week for me were Matthew Bourne's "Edward Scissorhands" and "B.U.S." (Bricolage Urban Scrawl), an evening of six plays created in one day. I hope to write about both in my online journal. But in short, I enjoyed the sweetness and wit of "Scissorhands" more than when I saw it last year in England. Knowing that the dance drama lacked the dark tremors of the movie, I better enjoyed its poignant love story.

And "B.U.S." was a real high, a showcase under difficult conditions that created comedy and feeling. A major contributor was Lissa Brennan, who acted and also substituted at the last minute for playwright Jim McManus, who was ill. Her play, "Mel Gibson Kills Children," an unexpected encounter with an abortion protestor, was one of the best, and her role as an elderly storm survivor in France-Luce Benson's "Noplace, Somewhere" was delicately comic.

The funniest play was "The Session" by Wali Jamal, directed by Sheila McKenna, with a crackerjack cast of Marika Christie, Elena Passarello and Dereck Walton as a lesbian couple and a homophobic marriage counselor. I complimented Wali on casting his writing so well, and he reminded me he chose the cast before he wrote the skit, so actually he wrote well for his cast.

Coast to 'The Coast'

Yesterday we announced our Critic's Choice tour to New York, April 13-15, to see Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" trilogy. You have to move fast on this one -- space is limited and theater, air and hotel all have imminent deadlines. For details, see yesterday's paper or www.post-gazette.com/theater or call Jackie or Candi at 412-441-3131.

Marshall Watch

The live "B.U.S." was at the same time as the second week of "Grease: You're the One That I Want," but for once the video recorder worked, and I thought it was just about as sappy as the first week. However, Kathleen Marshall, our reason for watching, came through with her dignity and good humor intact. I wish they'd showed more of her and the dance tryouts on the second day. And where do they get some of these hopeless wannabes? I know, I know, they're the whole point of the first few weeks, but jeez .... My daughter assures me every "reality show" gets better as the field narrows down. I say, show me.

'Bests' again

In my year-end celebrations, I never said anything about sound design. I'd like to repair that by citing Liz Atkinson, who was the essential contributor to PICT's BeckettFest, slaving for two months to design 18 eccentric, difficult plays, many of which are mainly verbal/aural events.

CLO Late Night

"Chris Laitta's TV Tunes" (Fri.-Sat. 10 p.m.) is followed next week by CMU grad and Broadway regular Donna Lynne Champlin in "Finishing the Hat," a mix of comedy, song, insight and audience participation. That's at the CLO's Late Night Cabaret, 655 Penn Ave.; 412-456-6666.

The bottom line

Paid admissions at city's pro theaters for the week ending Jan. 14:

Catechism/City (94%) ................ 495

Forb.BwaySVU/CLO (34%) ................ 440

BUS/Bricolage (100%+) ............... c.160