The Call
‘Puppet Park’ is a newly written educational & musical production touching sensitive subjects regarding racism, homosexuality, family issues, abuse and bullying etc. Newly written songs will be added to assist with the message from stage. A message of love and acceptance. From the creative pen of Xander Steyn who has a list of productions that he has written, directed and choreographed – www.xanderartproductions.co.za – this is a production is a must see for every school and child in South Africa.
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?
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
Complexion is about a girl who grows up in the township facing different challenges at different stages of her life. We see the world through her eyes from the time she is born, we are introduced to the various people in her life who shape and mould the complexities of her complexion.
I developed this play with an interest in telling stories about the world I know and grew up in. Not only did I want to tell a story about a young black girl who grows up in a township, I also wanted to speak back to how the township is a mechanism that informs, consumes and cripples children. Using some of my own personal narratives, observations and investigations I created a 6 minute work which I performed for my 4th year performance exam. I was encouraged to extend and develop the performance text. In the process I have been intrigued by how social systems have been normalized and how these norms have a way of shaping and affecting humans. Do we have the agency to change ourselves and/or our context? TO BE OR NOT TO BE… has been the leading theme of this play; to survive or not to survive? To be oppressed or to not be oppressed? To be …
Growing up in rural area a young man known by his nick name “The Shoe Man” take us through a journey that may change the lives of South African youth today. He is forced to attend high school in a closest town, since he is waiting for the government to build one in his area. Passionate about completing his matric, he struggles to survive through depressions posed by children from his community and settling his fees at his multiracial school. (The play is dedicated to the late Andile “King, Jesus” Mdletshe)
Emperor Loxly’s court is in turmoil, because his designer quit the day before his birthday, and left His Highness without a new show-stopper outfit. That is, however not the only problem. The much bigger issue is Wonty, the unenthusiastic court jester, who stole the emperor’s prized watch, and is planning to take over the kingdom. The emperor’s loyal servant, Wilma, tries to maintain the status quo: keeping Loxly happy and Wonty quiet, but then Wonty is banned, Loxly almost loses his mind, and a stranger makes his appearance. Can the smooth talking, never-heard-of designer called Wontier, save the day?
In the workshop, learners evaluate all the characters in the play, and decide who displayed good leadership skills. They also apply it to their own environment and lives.
A barman, trapped by the codes of the bar that render him invisible; a flamboyantly macho cowboy, with a flair for the Argentine Tango; and a guarded woman, whose sensuous alter ego is released as she nurses her wine as if it were mother’s milk; all hover at the edge of existence, ever short of bridging the gaps between them. The one minute they’re keeping time to the music, the next they’ve slipped out of the real time of their unfulfilled lives and into the vacuous space of the bar. They flirt, fight, drink and forget, fuelled by the answers they find at the bottom of the glass.
This is a tale that shows the cruelty of life, and how if you don’t respect life or don’t have a direction, you will not succeed. It tackles themes like abortion, unprotected sex with multiple partners, peer pressure, irresponsible teenage parenting, school drop outs and the importance of education in life.