APARTHEID'S HORROR, TRAGEDY SHOWN IN 'POPPIE NONGENA'.(Weekend)

Byline: Martin P. Kelly Drama critic

The tragedy of apartheid in South Africa for oppressed and oppressor alike is vividly portrayed in the production of "Poppie Nongena" at the Lenox Arts Center.

Here, the Music-Theatre Group has brought its New York production of the play, which was first developed in Johannesburg and brought to off-Broadway for its American premiere.

Staged in a claustrophobic room lined with corrugated tin paneling, the oppressiveness of life for blacks in South Africa is created by the eight-member cast under the direction of Hilary Blecher.

While it covers three generations of women, the play focuses more on "Poppie," …