Represent Interview: KGAUZA DUBE
We like keeping an eye on some of the formidable people that we meet in life. Kgauhelo Dube is one of them. We love peeps who are full of their very own unique and unusual plans – but we REALLY love peeps who make them happen. Here’s one such person – self-created theatre producer “Kgauza” is taking her one-man show to the G-town festival – read all about how she made the change from PR into theatre and make sure to catch “Waiting for Thandiwe” in G-town. Big ups sisi and break a leg! You inspire us. “Waiting for Thandiwe” – Grahamstown Schedule Venue: Dicks Hall (in the Monument) Tickets: R50/ Students R40 July 2007: Mon 2 10:00 Tue 3 14:00 Wed 4 18:00 Thu 5 12:00 Fri 6 22:00 Sat 7 14:00 Represent: So Kgauza, give us the short version of your backstory if you don’t mind… from birth to now… KG: I am an energetic 25 year-old Pretorian … and have close affinity to my hometown…I think my personality is very reflective of Tshwane…sunny, jazzy and free-spirited. When I was growing up I never wanted anything to do with media or journalism because I used to miss my Mom, who was a busy journalist for the Sowetan…I guess, ironically, I ended up studying Integrated Marketing Communications and landed my first gig in PR and that’s when the media bug got me. After PR, I moved on to strategic planning within advertising, which I quite liked until I made a major move to give the ad game a bit of a break and apply my strategic thinking to advance the arts & culture fraternity, which definitely needs more support on the strategy side in order for it an economically viable industry. Theatre was a genre for me to decide on due to my love for it from an early age. I remember attending all the plays at the school festivals held in high school, yet…I’m not an actor. Momentarily, I am producing “Waiting for Thandiwe”, a romantic 1-man comedy under my baby…my company called Black Curtain Theatre Movement, in partnership with Lulama Masimi, who wrote and starred in the play. Black Curtain Theatre Movement aims to take theatre out of its conventional theatre confines, which at times doesn’t appeal to the youth and also and most importantly, make theatre cool! Another exciting project I am working on is the Newtown Women in Arts Festival; which is happening in August. I am the Deputy Festival Manager and am thoroughly excited about being part of the women-focused cultural revolution! Check out the http://www.newtown.co.za/ site in a few weeks for the programming! Represent: I remember you inviting...
Represent Review: The Invader
Catch The Invader this week at Wits Theatre – our Representah Linda gives us her view on the seemingly controversial play: I sit down in the Wits Amphitheatre, ready to watch the play “The Invader”. A very loud rock song is pulsing through the speakers, filling the auditorium. I can’t figure out what the song is because I don’t know any rock music released post-1992, when I finished school and began to exercise my long-awaited right to choose what music to listen to. But I digress…. The song is LOUD… but through it I can hear voices raised, people are fighting, a man and a woman. The argument seems to be coming from backstage, and seems quite incongruous with the song, so I’m wishing the stage manager would realise they’ve left the music on, and turn it off, because the play is about to start. It carries on though, and I start thinking… maybe there’s a serious argument backstage and the music is being played to drown it out while we wait. All kinds of scenarios are playing themselves out in my imagination about who is arguing – maybe the director cheated on his actress girlfriend, and she is now refusing to go on stage; or somebody is throwing an artistic tantrum about the props…(yeah I’m a gossip junkie, sometimes). The drama unfolds in my mind until I realise the backstage argument is part of the script. A young girl comes running out on stage, a pantsula type of dude right on her tail yelling and screaming all kinds of obscenities at her. She is running from him, trying to duck his hands slapping her, trying to outrun his feet kicking her, she’s frantically throwing whatever obstacle she can find into his path to slow him. But he catches up to her and assaults her. The scene is rough. He beats her, calls her a whore, and rapes her. All the while the rock tune continues playing, LOUD. While I want it to stop playing so I can hear better what he’s saying to her, I’m actually grateful it is playing, so I don’t have to hear it; and the song also distracts me from listening to her anguished screams. Much respect to the young actress, she will go far. This is the powerful opening scene of “The Invader”. The rest of the play is about the theme of rape and sexual violence – from the story of rape victims turned sexual aggressors, to women raped at a young age, who think they’ve dealt with the issue until it comes back to haunt them in adult life, to male victims of rape....
Represent Review: 12 Naked Men
Our citizen journo AmorAmor popped into the new kid on the Rosebank art block for the opening of the gallery and a photographic exhibition. We were thinking, the city should consider naming the greater Rosebank towards Parkhurst area “Art Precinct”. It’s brimming with galleries that are filled with fascinating local and international artists… and all for mahala…Go Go Go. It does wonders for the artist in you. See pics here. 13th June – July 6th David Brown Fine Art 39 Keyes Avenue Rosebank Johannesburg (011) 788 4435 Gallery Gallery hours Mon-Fri 9am – 6pm and Saturdays 9am – 1pm The provocatively titled opening exhibition at the David Brown Gallery Rosebank is as deceptive as the gallery owner and artist in question. I dropped into the new David Brown Gallery, 39 Keyes Avenue, Rosebank, early yesterday morning. It was the best decision I made that day. Walking into the quiet and minimalist space you realize that this gallery is a work of heart. The austerity of the space makes it absolutely clear that this is where art is the focus, not ego or image. If, like me, you looked at the title of the exhibition and expected to see another photographic glorification of the (hu)man form, you could be a little disappointed. I was not. On the contrary, I was wonderfully surprised by how wrong an assumption could be. I guess I did have forewarning. The picture on the invitation is Michael Meyersfelds’ ‘Custom’, No. 6 in his series of twelve. This was not another Da Vincian “Universal Man” study, nor was it a Jean Paul Gaultier ad campaign. This was different; as Michael explained, “These twelve images were made to depict and convey the conditioning of man”. Michael’s pictures bear such titles as ‘Born’, ‘Repentance’, ‘Bewildered’, ‘Deceit’ and ‘Acceptance’. Each picture portrays the title, within the context of man’s conditioning, in wonderfully surprising and enlightening ways. From the attention to detail in the composition of each photograph to the variety and uniqueness of the models he chose, each piece shows you man/men in ways that are completely familiar and utterly new. The unfettered clarity of ‘Born’ and the stark reality of ‘Fear’ strike a chord of recognition somewhere in the region of your belly button. You feel a silence descend as you move from picture to picture that is somehow enhanced by the soundtrack that fills the room like smoke. The play of light in ‘Entitled’ and ‘Greed’ focuses your attention on the subjects so completely that it takes you a moment to realize there is a bigger picture both in and outside the frame. Perhaps that is the beauty of Michael’s work: its...
Represent Review & photos: 5FM Soweto
She’s just landed in Joburg and already AmorAmor’s getting down ekasi – see some pics here: Man! What do you say about a 5FM house music gig in Soweto? First thing that comes to mind: “What took them so long?” This past Saturday a bunch of us from Represent had the pleasure of being part of 5FM’s first ever broadcast of the Saturday Surgery live and direct from the Backroom, Pimville, Soweto. Roger Goode’s CD launch tour chose a brilliant venue for their last stop. The Backroom is stylish, funky and spacious. So funky that the model set pulled in around 9pm and ensconced themselves in the VIP area. We were loving the kasi drinking style of one bottle and several glasses or a smokey ice-bucket teetering with cold beverages to keep the table happy all night long… so much better than to-ing-and fro-ing to the bar. Everyone was working the smart-casual dress-code with flair (even us average Joes), the people were friendly, the vibe was relaxed and hopping and the music was perfect for an easy night out. Combine all this and you get a club that holds it’s own against any of Jozi’s “up-market” night venues, without being snobby. Granted for non-locals, getting there is not for the faint of heart (I’d be lost for sure if it wasn’t for our navigator) but this just means you gotta get you some friends that know the way. On the way to the party we all wondered why this was the first time 5FM is broadcasting their popular dance show live from Soweto and how they would be received. I mean, we are all aware of how hard the station has been working to broaden their demographic base- but, have their efforts been successful? There was no queue when we arrived around 6:30 (press release said first set at 6pm) and only a few people inside. Let’s be honest, we were worried! Was 5FM going to be rejected as a vestige of the whitening (I made that up) of our African culture? Or would they prove that they can bridge the gap and bring it home? We decide to play it neutral and write off the slow turn-out to the fact that no self-respecting party animal leaves the house before 7pm at the earliest. We were right. Around 8 the crowd started pouring in (still early for Jozi) and by 9 it was pumping. Not the over-flowing, two-block-waiting line we’re all led to believe follows the 5fm gigs, but very respectable. Whether this was due to 5FM’s popularity or the naturally inviting nature of the people of Soweto… well I’ll leave the...
Represent Review: Storm in a Teacup
Represent is so much richer for the wonderful flavour that our Representah Reuben “The Matrix” Malema’s words bring to our community. Reuben caught “Storm in a Teacup” , one of the performances featured in the showcase of Wits School of Arts “Masters’ and Honours’ students research projects… as usual, he gave it the “Full Matrix”. See some photo’s here: A masterpiece of skillful art direction, well designed stage décor, a bag of laughs to last the whole week and flawless film-noir expertise! These are but a few of the phrases used to describe the grand finale of the little over 45 minutes – 3 member cast, music-filled theatrical satire: A Storm in a Teacup by Team Best Productions (Wits Theatre). The setting is a fast-paced disastrous office ambience, made more apparent by the relentlessly authoritarian company boss – Mr. Bill Sampson (played by Bryan van Niekerk), who seems to be lost in a care-free; self-centered life rather than effectively steering the reigns of his family’s enterprise. Storyline: The Christmas party co-ordinator, Zetie (played by Naomi van Niekerk) gets ditched by (already paid for) one “DJ Spear” at the eleventh hour. She also has to deal with a Father Christmas – Patrick (played by Asher Stoltz) who’s not too keen to be resident Santa clause, but would rather make known his secret affection for the worker-bee: Zetie. The story is an all too familiar experience for many corporate employees who get engaged in the hustle and bustle of organizing the much anticipated annual company Christmas party. And from the immediate reciprocity of many an audience member, the play reeled–out a somewhat timely aha! moment which I dare call a majority affirmation of a very noticeable and much appreciated “dé jà vu”! This play was nothing like any of the other plays that I’ve seen before and its director (Gordon Lindsay) strongly concurred with my statement by alerting me to the fact that Team Best (as they affectionately call themselves) went to elaborate lengths to push the boundaries and to a certain degree radically warp traditional theatre styles by “literally staging the play inside a collection of hand-held aluminum rectangle frames”. The unusual props not only produced a creative visual effect pointing to the “behind the scenes” brewing of “a storm in a teacup”, but also captivated the mesmerized audience’s attention, pulling their concentration to each “framed-in scene” while still having a full perspective of the entire set – nothing else, but a given! Like any well narrated contemporary adult story; A Storm in a Teacup has many of the usual elements which characterize such theatrical acts, vis-à-vis: Jealousy amongst colleagues (for the only girl!), hidden passion, rush decisions made in an...
Represent Review: Best of Ian & Rory
Sharpile to John for his words, if you’re a big fan of Ian von Memerty or Rory Rootenburg like John is, this sounds right up your alley. The Best of Ian and Rory plays at the University Of Johannesburg Theatre on June 5, 6, 8 and 9. Booking is open at Computicket. Two lives, played out on a stage in one and a half hours – it was an honour attending the Best of Rory and Ian show at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre. I’ve been waiting in anticipation since last year to see this show. Those that know Rory Rootenburg and Ian von Memerty will know that they are two seasoned professionals – no surprises here. The show contained clips of their careers in the music business and contained something for every music lover’s taste. My musical taste buds were tickled when Rory reprised his role as the Phantom of the Opera with two beautiful songs – taking me back to the State Theatre a few years back when the show exploded on our stages. Ian’s rendition of pop classics by Elton John and such had us rolling in the isles with laughter – man this guy can make magic with a piano. There were some sad and some serious moments as well. The segment on Jewish music had me totally lost for ten minutes – but rather than criticize, I’m willing to admit my total ignorance on the subject. The comedy came thick and fast with funny lyrics and the two performers playing a bitchy role while announcing each other – the comments had us laughing our heads off. Rory’s comedy version of Carmen and Ian’s walk through the history of South Africa were very funny and worth the price of admission by themselves. Their pianist also needs a mention. He played flawlessly and even participated in some of the antics on stage. As I said – nothing new in this show – you get what you expect from two artists of this caliber. Good, solid performances, brilliant vocals, brilliant “piano”, and a good chuckle. Go see it – I highly recommend it – they have a very limited run in Johannesburg. ************************************* PR: They are two of South Africa’s best-loved entertainers and they’ve joined forces in a hilarious and moving not-to-be-missed journey down musical lane. The inimitable music duo of Ian von Memerty and Rory Rootenberg perform highlights from their favourite musicals in The Best of Ian and Rory which plays Johannesburg for four nights only next month. Rootenberg shares some of the great moments as The Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, does the opera...
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