Exile
Description
$9.95
ISBN 0-921368-12-7
DDC C812'.54
Author
Publisher
Year
Contributor
Ian C. Nelson is Assistant Director of Libraries at the University of
Saskatchewan.
Review
Crail’s Exile (the possessive form is surely significant for this
writer, born in Paarl, South Africa, and now residing in Regina) was
first workshopped in 1988 at the sixth annual Festival of New Plays held
by the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre; then, having won the
Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild Literary Competition for 1989, it went on
to a full production by Twenty Fifth Street Theatre in 1990.
It is a play about political, economic, and human struggle; about
leadership and following; about public and private lives; and about the
power of history. Although one might be tempted to call Exile an
“idea” play (specifically, it explores the horrendous price a woman
has paid for her commitment to the anti-apartheid movement of South
Africa), Crail draws surprising drama from a situation that in less
skillful hands would have degenerated to mere polemic and harangue.
Sarah, a union leader seeking inspiration from Elizabeth (a charismatic
leader of 20 years past) discovers that Elizabeth has fallen during
exile into a sordid, alcoholic obscurity. Still, determined not to risk
becoming a puppet or collaborator of apartheid, she is unwilling to
trade this exile for the comfort of repatriation among friends and
former supporters until South Africa is truly free.
The dramatic power of this play cannot be suggested by mere description
however. Crail’s genius is for throwing Elizabeth’s high-profile,
newsworthy political commitment into high relief with the details of her
private pain: the desertion of her family; her abusive, womanizing
husband; and—to send the audience reeling into the intermission—a
shocking revelation of gang rape by the police. Although the
confrontation of this harsh reality is harrowing for both the characters
of Exile and the audience of readers, Crail is able to impart hope and
dramatic resolution in the end, with the exquisitely intimate gesture of
Sarah’s exchanging clothes and shoes with her friend and erstwhile
leader. This distinguishes Exile as a play whose power is in the
performance. The published text includes a one-page glossary that is
both incomplete and in random order, an unfortunately obvious
afterthought for this eminently worthy play.