BOESMAN AND LENA BY Athol Fugard

Athol Fugard classic to be staged at Stable Theatre!

Stable Theatre is to present a schools production of “Boesman and Lena”, Athol Fugard’s powerful story set in apartheid South Africa. It deals with a coloured couple who have been uprooted from their shanty town home which has been bulldozed by the white authorities in order to drive them and other blacks and coloureds in the segregated settlement further away from their white neighbours.

Taking place in the course of a single evening, the play follows Boesman and Lena’s story as they traipse across the mudflats of the Swartkops River near Port Elizabeth, carrying all their belongings in bundles. As they find a desolate spot to rig up some shelter, they meet an old black man. Despite Boesman’s scorn, Lena invites him to sit by the fire …. but the man dies unexpectedly.

Dealing with survival against major odds, “Boesman and Lena” premiered in Grahamstown at the Rhodes University Little Theatre in 1969 with Fugard himself in the role of Boesman and Yvonne Bryceland as Lena. Glyn Day, a white actor, played the part of Outa in blackface.

Eager Artists’s production of this classic play is directed by Siza Mthembu and features DUT graduate Jessica Jamisson in the role of Lena with Musa Ntuli as her abusive husband, Boesman.

MY LIFE RE-VIEWED: FOLLOWING FUGARD.

In 1994 Athol Fugard, with the help of Rebecca Waddell, created the workshop presentation, My Life. It told the story of five young South African women and their realities and aspirations.

Following Fugard’s template and work-process, Johan Esterhuizen and his team of five student actor’s from the University of Stellenbosch embark on their journey and paths of discovery in this new or, more correctly stated, “re-visited” version of the original Fugard play. The audience will share this journey and be drawn into the remarkable world of five very creative young students on the verge of moving from their relatively safe campus environment to meeting the challenges of a new South Africa. And the beauty of it is that all five have an array of performance talents that are sure to entertain, amuse and astound.

With Brenda Mhangwani,Theodora Lee, Kim Pietersen, Andrea Frankson, Sam Petersen. Directed by Johan Esterhuizen

THE CAPTAIN`S TIGER  by Athol Fugard

The Captain`s Tiger deals with the young author (Athol Fugard) and the formative influences  on  him as a young writer setting out to make his mark. The play describes his adventures as a `captain`s  tiger`, or assistant to the captain of a  merchant vessel sailing  the Pacific ocean. In his  free time, he befriends Donkeyman, an illiterate machine room mechanic, who offers him quiet support and encouragement in his writing endeavours. He also finds his  muse  in the memory of his mother, who appears to him  in dreamlike sequences  throughout  the play, thereby making  this probably one of the most poetic of Fugard`s plays.

The play will be staged by Anex Theatre Production and will be directed by Margot Wood. The cast includes  Dawie Fourie (the Author), Benita Retief (his mother) and Shedrick Jacobs (Donkeyman).

Fugue’d

Directed by Cheri-Lee Blackie

Inspired by Fugard’s reoccurring theme of disconnection, this production explores the pressures, the responsibilities and the aspirations of young people on the threshold of a
changing future. 

Fugue’d is a contemporary piece, drawing from the past to make sense of the future.

• Presented by The Waterfront Theatre College

Die Droom Dief

Developed by Michael Wentworth

Directed by Michael Wentworth with Paula Kingwill

Choreography by Naomi Smit

Musical Direction by Stacha Leydekkers

 Die Droom Dief is a work-shopped children’s play that will be performed by the pupils of the Lettie de Klerk Primary School Arts Project which is a voluntary community outreach project coordinated and facilitated by Michael Wentworth.

The co-director for the play is Paula Kingwill who has been conducting her own drama therapy workshops at the school which was conceived and implemented independently from the Arts Project. Additional choreography and musical direction was made possible by the University of Pretoria Nieu Bethesda Outreach Project.

The story was developed over a period of four weeks with the participants in the Saturday drama component of the project.

 The story centres around a young girl, Sussie whose dream is stolen during the night and her trials to find the thief and dream. The cast is comprised of students between grades 4 to 7.

Lied van dieVallei deur Athol Fugard

  Lied van die Vallei is die Afrikaanse vertaling van Valley Song, die eerste stuk wat Fugard geskryf het na die verkiesing in 1994. Soos verwag kan word het dit 'n ligter aanslag as baie van Fugard se voor    ' 94 stukke en die liedjies in die stuk dra ook by tot 'n genotvolle toneelervaring.  

Lied van die Vallei speel af in Nieu Bethesda en toneelgangers wat die dorpie ken, sal die verwysings na die bekende omgewing waardeer, bv. "Dis nou winter, 'n Sneeubergwinter!"; "So, Veronica, dit lyk of jou droomtyd in Martinstraat verby is, ne?" Selfs die karakters kan mense wees wat 'n mens ken!

Die stuk gaan oor drome, die genot van werk met die grond, pampoene, liedjies, geloof en dan die eeue oue konflik tussen die jonger geslag en die ouer "Buks" wat verkies dat dinge moet bly soos dit was.      

 Die rolle word vertolk deur plaaslike inwoners van Nieu Bethesda onder die regie van die briljante Kenyon, ook van Nieu Bethesda.

Die vertaler van die stuk, Idil Sheard, ook van Nieu Bethesda , het in 2004 die SAVI se eerste prys gekry vir hierdie Afrikaanse  vertaling van Valley Song Vallei

Draadwerk deur Daleen Kruger

Draadwerk handel oor die besondere vriendskap tussen Koos Malgas en Helen Martens. Altwee was kunstenaars en alleenmense in die gemeenskap.

Draadwerk beeld Helen se gedagtegang uit oor van die beelde en Koos se groei as kunstenaar.
Die kern van die verhaal is die wisselspel tussen lig en donkerte.

"Draadwerk" was 2009 die wenteks van die Nagtegaal Dramatekskompetisie. Met die dramaturg se navorsing het sy stil aan Helen belowe dat sy die drama sal terugbring na Nieu-Bethesda.

Die professionele Johoproduksie o.l.v. Andre Stolz met Aletta Bezuidenhout en Denver Vraagom het gehore stil in hulle sitplekke vasgepen. Maar weens noodlot en finansies gee die dramaturg "Draadwerk" terug aan die gemeenskap deur dit "unplugged" op te voer met plaaslike akteurs op die voorstoep van die Uilehuis

Opgevoer deur Daleen Kruger 

Hallo en Koebaai deur Athol Fugard

In hierdie prikkelende teaterstuk, speel die storie af in n huis in Valleyweg en ondersoek die verhouding tussen 'n broer en suster, waar onderdrukte woede en angs, elkeen hul betekenlose lewens onderbreek. Albei moet vrede maak met die keuses wat hulle gemaak het in die lewe, en die manier waarop hulle beïnvloed is deur hul herinneringe, kinderjare, en hul dominante, gestremde vader.

Hester (Yvonne Batista) keer terug huistoe na 12 jaar; en in die verloop van die aand, konfronteer  sy en haar broer Johnnie (Jacques Batista) hulle woede, vrese, haat en selfs die moontlikheid van hoop vir die toekoms.

Die regie deur Steven Bolhuis, knipoog vir die nostalgie van die sestigejare en minimale teater modernisme; wat beide in teenstelling is, en komplimenteer die emosionele intensiteit van die bestaanskrisis wat Hester en Johnny in die gesig staar. 

Die bitter-soet universele temas van teenspoed, kwesbaarheid en disfunksionele gesinsdinamika; word binne die duidelik herkenbare plaaslike konteks verken.