An evocative exhibition on the tragedies of Apartheid.
That Boy Has No Shoes is a chronicle of where we’ve been, what we’ve learned, and what we haven’t. Lara van Huyssteen’s narrative collection of accounts from Apartheid South Africa is a moving piece of history. While somewhat confusing as a stage show, the emotional impact and auditory experience make it a worthwhile event.
Picture yourself seated in a dark theater surrounded by the sounds of Africa; you hear the animals and the people and the traffic, then gunshots ring through the theater. That is your introduction to That Boy Has No Shoes. The selected experiences described to the audience are incredibly powerful. Each excerpt evokes outrage and empathy while deepening our understanding of the horrors of Apartheid. It is interesting to see how the stories being told tie in with the objects on display and how each item has a personality of its own as shown through Van Huyssteen’s interactions with it.
My trouble with That Boy Has No Shoes has little to do with the art itself so much as the medium in which it is presented. Where this show struggles is that it isn’t really a show. That is not to say that it isn’t an excellent work of art, but it’s not really theater. What Van Huyssteen has created is more akin to what you would find in a museum exhibition. Apart from seeing the physical objects themselves and a few select moments, the staging of her work is no more impactful than had it been presented in podcast or audiobook form. The conclusion, the only point at which Van Huyssteen spoke, lent some support to presenting this as stage theater. Her concluding speech is rousing and reminiscent of the pleas heard in UN addresses throughout history; it calls into question what progress has been made but leaves you with a soothing sense of hope.
There is one moment which singlehandedly justifies the staging of this show and any expense for a ticket. Van Huyssteen’s song as she clips roses at the feet of the PassBook is otherworldly. Her voice is like warm honey, inviting you to melt with it as it encapsulates you. Her singing is hauntingly beautiful in a way that brings tears to the eyes while you pray it’ll never end. That song as she clips roses for a girl torn apart by the violence of apartheid is unforgettable.
An interesting work of art, That Boy Has No Shoes is a moving retrospective.