I saw a production of My Children! My Africa! at Studio Theatre in Washington the other night, and it broke my heart.

In 1984, Athol Fugard wrote a play about racial tensions exploding at a high school in apartheid South Africa. His drama is a powerful lament about the shameful waste of bright, shining young lives.

If you go My Children! My Africa! runs through Oct. 21 at the Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. N.W., Washington. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2 p.m., 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m., 7 p.m. Sunday. $27-$55. Call 202-332-3300 or go to studiotheatre.org.