The Captain's Tiger, Athol Fugard's autobiographical story of a young writer haunted by a cherished photograph of his mother as a young woman, makes another stop on its way to Off-Broadway's Manhattan Theatre Club when it begins performances at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre, Sept. The play has one preview, Sept. 23, and officially opens Sept. 24 for a run through Nov. 1.

As with Valley Song, Fugard stars in the play. The Los Angeles Times reported (July 12) that a minor controversy was brewing because the play is also scheduled to come to L.A.'s Mark Taper Forum in June 1999. The playwright's agent, Peter Franklin, however, told the L.A. Times that Fugard can't do the show "during the time the Taper announced. I don't know if he'll do it later. It's not possible he could do it earlier, he's booked."

In response, artistic director Gordon Davidson told the Times he'd spoken with Fugard, who was worried that he might be "in a writing mode" next summer. Nevertheless, Davidson said, "I have no doubt that I will get Athol Fugard to do it," even if it means he has to "flip a play" on the schedule to make it happen.

A Taper Forum spokesperson told Playbill On-Line (Sept. 22) the show was definitely on the schedule and is set to begin previews on June 20, 1999, and run through July 25, with an official opening, June 27, 1999.

May 5-24, 1998, New Jersey's McCarter Theatre hosted the comedy/drama, which opened there May 8. Tiger premiered at the State Theatre in Pretoria, South Africa in fall 1997. Other plays by Fugard include The Blood Knot, Boesman and Lena, The Road To Mecca, Master Harold...and the Boys and Valley Song, which had its U.S. premiere at the McCarter.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent
and David Lefkowitz and Robert Simonson