In Athol Fugard's "The Statements", each play not only depicts the hardships of apartheid and the consequences thereafter, but contemplates the philosophical question: "What is a man?" Fugard uses the tragic personal experiences of himself as well as his fellow actor partners; John Kani and Winston Ntshona. Together, the two actors along with Fugard portray what life was like under South Africa's apartheid laws. In "The Island" with the help with Kani and Ntshona, Fugard, elicits the bond of brotherhood, even within the dehumanizing prison cell walls, on Robben Island. However, it is not only through the dialogue that we learn of the island's harsh environment, but also through the play's set design. Elements such as lighting, sound, costume, and stage direction all enhance the overall production of the play.
             Moreover, the beginning of scene one contains an abundance of these elements. As the siren sounds signaling the start of yet another harsh hardworking day, the two prisoners, John and Winston arise. The stage lights are on, to reveal a moat of harsh, white light around their cell. A moat, usually is classified as a body of water surrounding a castle, although, in this case it represents Robben Island. The light, so radiant which, depicts a moat, consequently portrays the blinding atmosphere at hand. John and Winston with their shaven heads are wearing prison uniforms consisting of a khaki shirt and a pair of short trousers, as they mime digging the sand. As compared to the old black and white stripped prison uniforms, they look a bit foolish, especially when trying to illustrate the endless digging at the sand. They both continue to engage in the "back-breaking" labour of digging at the sand, but for no apparent reason, only to add the sand from one's wheel- barrow to the pile where the other is digging. As a result, nothing is ever accomplished, e...