Nothing Except Ourselves: 2the Harsh Times and Bold Theater of South Africa's Mbongeni Ngema

In this compelling account of an extraordinary life, Jones, former director of special projects at New York City's Lincoln Center, follows the rise to fame of the charismatic 39-year-old South African playwright, who has drawn on his Zulu heritage and his experience of racial injustice to write enormously successful plays-Woza Albert!, Asinamali!, Sarafina, Township Fever and Magic at 4 A.M. Though Ngema has been critized in South Africa for using stories of the struggles of his people for personal gain, his plays enjoy a wide audience, and he has attracted benefactors and assembled an acting company of devoted followers. Jones worked with Ngema when several of his plays were produced at Lincoln Center and later collaborated with him on Magic at 4 A.M., traveling to South Africa to interview Ngema's family and friends and visit the locales of his plays. Her biography also captures the excitement of South Africa's black theater. Photos not seen by PW. (Dec.)