Athol Fugard is a South African-born playwright who now makes his home in Southern California. He chose the Fountain Theatre for the West Coast debut of his latest play, Coming Home. It, like most of his other works, takes place in South Africa and deals with issues that are unique to that country, but its themes are universal.

Coming Home begins with Veronica Jonkers returning from Capetown to her childhood home after seeking her fortune in the big city. She brings with her the clothes on her back, a few bags of belongings, a young son, and a secret. She is immediately and warmly welcomed with a care package by Alfred, a childhood friend. Alfred, sweet though no rocket scientist, innocently admits that Veronica is his only real friend on earth. One suspects that his feelings go deeper than friendship, but he is content to just have her back in his life, and she is glad to have a friendly face back in hers. As it turns out, he too has a secret of his own. (Feel free to keep reading. Out of respect for the reader, I vow to divulge neither.)

As Veronica settles once again into village life and watches in pride as her son matures into a bright respectable young man, she is upset by the fact that the two men in her life do not get along. The situation is particularly unsettling considering what she has yet to tell them. (I know what you’re thinking, but her son was conceived in Capetown, so, no, it’s not that.) Unlike many plays where the second act merely ties up the loose ends unraveled in Act One, here the opening act serves much like a prelude, with the conflict, along with the most dramatic and memorable scenes saved for the end.

Coming Home has only four characters, two of which have very few speaking lines, placing a great burden on the two primary roles. Veronica is clearly the central figure and a powerful vehicle for whoever plays her. She is a strong, vibrant character whose emotions are as torn and tattered as her clothing. And Deidrie Henry does a exceptional job with the role. However, I would have to say that Thomas Silcott outdoes her in the “supporting” role of Alfred. I could not imagine finding a more suitable and capable actor for the part. He breaths life into this “simple” person and completely embodies the character in action, speech and presence. It is the kind of performance that wins awards.

I often wonder how theatre companies seem to always manage to find the exact actor to fill particular roles. Is there a giant central casting online search engine? “Let’s see. Gender: female. Race/ethnicity: Asian/South American mix. Height: 5′3″-5′6″. Weight: 100-110 lbs. Age: 50-55. Must be able to sing, juggle and do a Scottish brogue.” Or is there a giant white room like in The Matrix, where all you have to do is ask and choices appear out of nowhere. “Tank, I need a 350 lb. redheaded Eskimo who can tap dance. Stat!” Oh, yeah, and they have to be able to act their way out of a paper bag and be willing to give of their time and talent to perform in front of small crowds often for little or no pay.

However they do it, some theatres, like the Fountain, always seem to find the perfect actor for the role. In addition to Henry and Silcott, Timothy Taylor is wonderful as the younger son. Only nine years old and with very few lines to speak, he has amazing stage presence playing the five-year-old boy. Matthew Elam, as the same son five years later, has more of an opportunity to speak and does a fantastic job. Adolphus Ward is also very good as the figment of Veronica’s father.

I am assuming that some, if not most, of the credit must go to the director, Stephen Sachs, who squeezes the most out of his cast and orchestrates the action well. One of the details that is often not given enough attention but can have a huge impact on a play is the scene change. For better or for worse, it can subliminally set the tone for the entire play or even leave an overt impression on the audience. Coming Home has only one real scene change but does an excellent job in that small opportunity. In the span of about 20 seconds, it depicts the passing of time and catches the audience up on the new dynamic.

The production even took on a dialect coach (JB Blanc) to ensure that the accents were authentic. (The program includes a dictionary of the local words and phrases used in the script, but most are easily understood in context.) The set by Laura Fine Hawkes and costumes by Shon Le Blanc are spot on.

Coming Home is performed Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 pm through August 29, 2009

The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Foutain Ave., 1 block east of Normandie Ave. in Hollywood

Ticket prices: Thurs/Fri $25 (Students: $18/Seniors $23), Sat/Sun $28

Reservations online at www.fountaintheatre.com or by phone at 323-663-1525.