Black

Jade Bowers (2016 Standard Bank Young Artist, Naledi Theatre Awards Best Director for Scorched) and Ameera Patel (Naledi Theatre Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Scorched) join forces to present ‘Black’. Based on CA Davids’ 2014 novel ‘The Blacks of Cape Town’, Gold Standard Bank Ovation Award-winning writer/director Penny Youngleson has written an adaptation for stage which intricately balances the poetry and pain of discovery, of unpacking history and the drama of family politics. Accomplished actress Patel tackles her first one-hander, under the directorial hand of Bowers, and with musical composition and accompaniment by Daniel Geddes.

While based abroad, historian Zara Black (Patel) learns via an officious but vague letter from the South African government, that documents once sealed and implicating her father in an act (which, while not clearly defined, was committed against the anti-apartheid movement decades earlier) will soon be released to the public. The resultant unearthing of her own past begins with Isaiah Black – the grandfather that ‘started it all’ when he stole a handful of diamonds from one of the world’s largest diamond mines in Kimberley. This act, however, is overshadowed by what the family considers his far greater crime – concealing his (mixed) race to escape the harsh realities of the mines before abandoning his mother and ultimately changing his name. His choice of surname is not without irony; because having been classified as mixed, he had passed as white, but had given rise to a line of coloured children and grandchildren. His granddaughter Zara finds herself alone and displaced in New Jersey, caught up in the excitement of an American election of a new and historic president, while trying to make sense of South Africa of the past and present: constructing a history for herself and her family from fragmented recollections and family lore.

Londoloza is a South African childrens’ play that tackles nature and water conservation. The show is an awareness of how can save water, use it in a responsible manner and the show also looks at the various things that effect our environment such as littering and pollution. All of which are linked to wasting and polluting water. The show is comprised of 4 actors, who use dance, singing and puppetry in order to get the narrative across. The show encourages recycling and informs its audience on the various methods there are to recycle or re-use items instead of littering or throwing them away. Thabo and Namhla are childhood friends who love their community and find various ways of saving water and taking care of the environment. Mabutho and Makapisi are the community rebel children who do not care about preserving water and the environment. They are rude and bully Thabo and Namhla every time they try to do something good for their community. It is not until Mabutho and Makapisi ruin the whole environment and wastes all the community’s water, that they get a wakeup call and finally turn their lives around after seeing the effects of not taking care of their environment and water. This show is highly interactive and allows the children to be part of the story so that they are actively involved in the development of the story. The cast will ask the audience questions and at various intervals ask some of the audience to come up on stage to help the characters in the show with whatever they need at the time. This show will run for 30 minutes and at the end the cast as well as the audience (teachers are also welcome)will have a brief questions and answers session after the show to unpack some of the things that came up in the play.

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?

About the Director:

Studying performing arts and teaching in drama at the Waterfront Theatre College, she taught drama at the Stellenbosch Waldorf School for 3 years and in 2016 she was a part of a programme called ‘Miss Earth South Africa’ and became one of 16 National finalists. At the end of the year she wrote a play called “The Recycling adventures of Reece”. A play that aims to inspire children and up lift them through storytelling and teaches them about taking care of the earth.

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.

uNontombi is a traditional musical play which portrays two men fighting over a beautiful woman in a Zulu village. The young man Mkhonto make use of traditional powers to win the love of uNontombi as our story continues the audience witnesses a crucial turn where love is taking its direction. we see mbuzini a close friend of Mkhonto betrays him by proposing uNontombi and only to find out that she loves Mbuzini more than Mkhonto.

The Whale Show is a family production that uses a large puppetry to enlighten and entertain the audience. The two protagonists have spent so much time with whales they behave just like them and even speak whale language, sharing their awe and wonder of these magical creatures. Themes include similarities and differences between whales and humans, threats to whales and whale facts and figures. The audience is encouraged to think critically about their values and the importance of whale conservation when the audience is invited to stop the giant harpoon.

The Whale Show is 45 minutes in duration and is suitable for Grades R – 3. An accompanying drama skills workshop of 45 minutes is also available.

After a 3 year hiatus The Whale Show, based on Heathcote Williams’ ‘Whale Nation’, returned to the stage in 2011 opening with a run at Kalk Bay Theatre. Created in 2001, the play has toured the National Arts Festival; Out The box festival, the Whale Festival in Hermanus; and numerous schools as part of International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) outreach education and awareness campaigns including twinning programmes with underprivileged and privileged schools. It has also been included in the YES programme for Marine Week and enjoyed successful public runs in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Muizenberg in 2008. In October 2015 The Whale Show traveled to the Overstrand region where it was performed for learners from local schools. The show was last performed at the City of Cape Town, Biodiversity Management Staff at their year end function in November 2016.

Patchwork is South Africa’s first professional show created just for 1-4 year olds. It was developed through intense research with the age group, to develop a theatrical language that meets our audience eye-to-eye, mind-to-mind. The show is designed to engage and delight the senses and imagination, promote empathy and create a bonding experience for children and their caregivers. Told through the languages of physical theatre, puppetry and live music (by Pedro The Music Man) the show is accessible to children of all languages and backgrounds.

Patchwork unfolds around a bed: the place where the comfort of home meets the strange world of dreams. In this world pillows become creatures learning to fly, a sheet dances with a life of its own, a teddy and a lamp makes best friends, and the proverbial cow jumps over the moon (as do the sheep and the dinosaur)!

The whole experience is carefully orchestrated to both calm and delight, making sure no little ones are left behind. ‘Patchwork’ promises to be a one-of-a-kind first theatre experience.

Patchwork is an experiential rather than educational show, however it will engage children on concepts such as bedtime, friendship, music, big and small, losing and finding. It will also stimulate imagination and creativity, and engage empathy and focus.

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