Xoli, Bawdy, Sam and Karla are a group of grade 11 girls who attend the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), Makhanda. The all girls’ school is a 187-year-old private boarding school that delivers an IEB curriculum. Their brother school is St Andrew’s College, a 232-year-old all boys’ school. Classes are shared by boys and girls from Grade 10-12. These two schools are separated by a giant green gate which is locked at 11pm in the evening and unlocked at 6am in the morning by tired security guards in navy blue uniform. While St Andrew’s is a gateless grounds spanning 5 blocks, DSG has recently built a wall around itself with electric fence to keep the outside out and the inside in. The girls roil and suffocate inside.
They are baby anarchists. New free–thinkers. And dreaming together into future liberatory possibility.
Xoli and Sam are in love or falling in love. Something muted and grounded and real. On Saturday afternoons they bunk out of school grounds with Bawdy and Karla to the often deserted train station in the centre of Makhanda to get high, shit-talk, dream, wonder if they will get to the other side of now. They are thinking into critical liberatory pedagogies into building nations that are not the stifled prison-house they feel they are in. They all feel, acutely, the discomfort of something itching – they know something is not right with the world.
There is friction in Xoli and Sam’s fragile relationship; Bawdy fuels the fire while dealing with preganancy and the decisions she must make. Karla’s mother as recently passed and she is moving through the aftermath. They talk about school and boys and race. They talk about disciplinary cases happening at both the boys and girls schools. Bawdy insists the politics will play themselves out. There is an altercation, an ideological impasse at which point one must act. It is the realisation of something euphoric, of power to destroy, of having the real potential to dismantle; and something horrific, no longer romantic, real and with real consequences. Suddenly there is the sound of the school guard and they run. In the panic and commotion as the nearby public rush towards the rising fire, the girls separate pursued on foot. At the normal meeting place, all but one girl return – Sam.
Sam is handed over to her school which immediately begins the process of questioning, gathering evidence and building a disciplinary case. Sam exposes Bawdy. Heads must roll. Sam’s parents remove her from the school before the date of her official tribunal. Xoli gets expelled. Bawdy gets expelled. Karla gets one-month suspension which she will spend at her father’s lake house in Plettenberg Bay.
“Dude! Wa’s My Phone?” is designed for high school students from Grade 10 to Grade 12 who are enrolled in Dramatic Arts. This age group is our main target audience, given the themes’ relatability, the cultural insights it offers, and its ability to captivate and educate a demographic highly connected to the challenges and opportunities associated with digital technology.
The play provides valuable insights and raises awareness about the consequences of smartphone addiction. Our interactive story creates an environment where young audiences are more receptive to messages encouraging a healthier balance between online and offline life.
“Dude! Wa’s My Phone?” utilizes humour, drama, and relatable situations to engage learners in a contemplative exploration of the role of technology in our lives. It delves into its impact on relationships, social consciousness, and the intricacies and absurdities that arise in the digital age. The production addresses the contemporary issue of smartphone addiction, examining the following themes:
- Addiction and Dependence on Technology
- Friendship and Connection
- The Intersection of Comedy and Tragedy
- Identity and Sense of Self
- Spark Dialogue and Reflection
The award-winning show documents the spirited misadventures of a Grade 9 Afrikaans underdog and her crucial survival-advice, as a minority in an Anglophile high school. Pretina de Jager will offer expert tips on how to: hashtag like a celeb, crush the mean girl mafia, and twerk your way through teen angst.
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The magic key sends Kalla on an adventure to the Litter Queen’s palace. He meets her two side-kicks, Rat and Poison, and experiences what it feels like when litter is not picked up, but thrown around. The audience helps the action along, by finding key words that are placed around the auditorium. A fun, literacy adventure!
The piece will incorporate singing, dancing, acting and physical theatre. Its aim is to be edgy and very provocative in order to capture the pupil’s attention for the duration of the piece.
At the end of the piece the students will be given an opportunity to discuss some of the issues that they witnessed during the piece with a skilled facilitator.
Does anyone have any idea what the impact of the pandemic of HIV and AIDS is having on our children and their family life? How does one approach this sensitive subject? Did you know that a live theatre show like, Tand’ Impilo can open up a safe space to discuss the subject and this forum can save lives?
JTC has created 2 versions of this production i.e storytelling and street theatre. With a cast of 7 the latter version is a visual street theatre piece and uses daring stilt characterizations, animal masks, original music and Nama language. The storytelling version has 3 characters who portray hilarious frogs who lead the animals to discover their own talents and to stand up to the bully. The storytellers continuously link the folktale to the language, the culture & history of the Khoikhoi as well as to their personal experiences. Insights into the behaviour of humans and wild animals are revealed. Both versions make use of English, Afrikaans & Nama (Khoikhoi language).
When Lion Had Wings is 40 minutes in duration with the storytelling version most suitable for Grades 4-7 whereas the street theatre version is fun for the whole family.
When Lion Had Wings, was developed during the course of 2016 and made its debut at the Cape Town Fringe Festival and was subsequently performed at the Muizenberg Festival as part of Project Ripple; the Cape Town Embrace event in celebration of Universal Children’s Day; at Streetopia and at the Vrygrond Festival. During February 2017 the street theatre version was performed as part of JTC’s Our Beaches Our Stories project which brought public art performances to public recreational spaces i.e. Monwabisi, Strandfontein and Muizenberg Pavilions, promoting natural and cultural heritage. The storytelling version toured local primary schools during November of 2016, was performed at the Masque Theatre early December and toured the Northern Cape at the start of March 2017.
Playtime Antics is a nonverbal clown performance for children of all ages.
In theatre one of the more impactful styles of performance is that of ‘Clowning‘. Clowning enables the performer to stay centred on the audience, being accessible to them so that he in turn can open up to them and their energy. This informs his performance, ensuring true impact.
This style together with a non-verbal presentation also asks both performer and audience member ‘to listen with their eyes’, essentially employing other sensory mechanisms in understanding and comprehending – delivering what has been hailed a truly unique and enriching theatre experience
With this year’s performance, we will be exploring relationships on the playground…relationships which we seem to encounter in adulthood as well and therefore an all to pertinent theme to explore … is it possible to form and maintain meaningful relationships regardless of our differences…can the bully, the shy girl and the smart boy in class be friends?
Look Before You Leap: Being Right deals with democracy, human rights, racism and discrimination.
Focussing in particular on the issues of diversity and inclusivity such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, and disability, discrimination on the basis of race, religion, culture, gender, sexuality, age, ability and language, as well as the concepts of institutionalised racism, xenophobia, and other forms of “othering”, are addressed.
The story pivots around the election of a school’s Student Representative Council. The Learners are introduced to the candidates standing for election, their motivation for running and each candidate’s aims and objectives outlined in their campaigns’. The Audience become the electorate, participating actively in the democratic processes that support and promote the promotion and advancement of the candidates, while simultaneously being privy to the ‘real’ experience of the identity, concerns and motivations of the characters.
Personal and individual needs are placed in a social context that encourages acceptance of diversity and fosters commitment to the values and principles entrenched in the Constitution. The show deals with social relationships and human rights and responsibilities, including how knowledge and understanding of diversity and inclusivity contributes to the development of responsible citizenship and social justice.
The aim is that audience will become (more) politically literate in terms of knowing, understanding and actively participating in democratic processes, both socially and politically. The importance of volunteerism, social service and involvement in a democratic society are emphasised, and the causes, consequences and prevention of pervasive social ills, such as HIV, and all forms of violence and abuse, are also addressed.
SENIOR PHASE (Grades 8 and 9)
- Topic 1: Development of the self in society
- Topic 2: Health, social and environmental responsibility
- Topic 3: Constitutional rights and responsibilities
FET PHASE (Grade 10 – 12)
- Topic 1: Development of the self in society
- Topic 2: Social and environmental responsibility
- Topic 3: Democracy and human rights
No Monkey Business: Safety First deals with basic safety, responsibility and trust.
Thandi has to go out on an errand. After teaching Mac and Vanda the rules of being alone and about strangers, she leaves. Needless to say the minute she’s gone Clarence Crocodile shows up disguised as a postman with a special surprise delivery for Mac. Fortunately, Mac manages to come to his senses just in time and Clarence’s little plot is foiled. But not for long, the ever persistent Clarence returns with a pizza, and this time he’s not taking no for an answer. But Mac is not that gullible – or is he? Instead, Clarence sells Mac some matches to cook himself supper – with predictable results. Fortunately Thandi comes home before the fire rages out of control.
This show examines the concepts of personal responsibility, personal safety and trust. It looks at the rules that we need to know in order to keep ourselves safe and why we have those rules. While dealing primarily with personal safety, the show also examines how to respond to unfamiliar people and situations, the notion of trust, and promotes looking after oneself and others. The intent is to foster the concepts of personal security and accountability for yourself and others.
The aims of the show are to leave the learner with a clear, sensible understanding of some of the more basic rules of daily life, a grasp of what responsibility and trust mean, and how to keep oneself, and others safe and out of harms way.
FOUNDATION PHASE
Study Area: Personal and Social Well-being
- Social, emotional and environmental health
- Relationships with other people and our environment
- Values and attitudes
- Nutrition
- Diseases (HIV/AIDS)
- Safety
Study Area: Creative Arts
- Develop learners as creative, imaginative individuals
- Provide basic knowledge and skills to participate creatively