Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why is the play just one act?
- What's the effect of not having any breaks?
- The play takes place in real time, just a few hours on a rainy afternoon. Why do you think Fugard chose to do this?
- How do you think the autobiographical nature of the play influenced Fugard's style and structure?
- How does the action of the play, with just Willie, Sam, and Hally, mirror the early days of their relationship?
- What's with the quotation marks in the title?
- How does the song that plays at the end relate to the play's themes?
- What's the most violent moment in the play? Why?
- If you were going to cast the play today, who would you choose to play the three parts?
- What do you think accounts for the fact that some people, like Fugard, were able to become strong voices against apartheid and others fought to keep the system in place?
- Hally's father is described as ill throughout the play. Does Hally have an "illness," too? What kind?
- Why do you think Fugard never uses the word "apartheid" and hardly even mentions South Africa at all?
- Is Sam too good to be true?
- Is dancing a great metaphor for human relationships or what?