Local Arts entry looks at abuse
A DRAMATIC, all-female, King William’s Town play will take to the stage at this year’s National Arts Festival in Grahamstown to tell a story of five women tied together by their individual experiences of abuse.
The five-cast member production, titled WoMEN is motivated by the surge in violent attacks on women across the country.
It is a dramatic piece which follows the lives of these women, telling their stories of victimisation, abuse and the consequences thereof, encouraging women in society to seek help and speak out against all forms of abuse. The production’s writer and director Abongile Manka said the play was inspired by how societal events affect the “present and future of women’s lives and the youth’s outlook on life”.
“The play shows the different forms of abuse and how they affect each victim.
“Physical abuse is regarded as worse than emotional abuse, but this production wants to counter that by showing that every form of abuse has a negative consequence on the victim and the people affected by the abuse.”
Manka said the women related personally with the storyline, as they had each encountered abuse in their own lives.
The play features Athenkosi Woli, Zizipho Yako, Mazinni Mtoba, Buhle Geleba and Unakho Kwatsha.
Manka said the production was birthed by her earlier production Woman Thou Art Loosed, which talked about “forgiveness and freeing yourself from the past”.
“We are excited about going to the Arts Festival. Every time we stage our work, [it] is an opportunity for us to grow.
“Although the arts are not booming in the Eastern Cape like the bigger provinces, we are fighting as artists to keep our God-given talents alive.” Manka is the director at the Centre Stage Arts Academy, a growing production house in King William’s Town.
“I am passionate about the arts, and having had the opportunity to study drama at the University of Pretoria, I decided to come back home and create an opportunity for other artists and give them the platform to tell our unique stories,” she said.
● The production is on at the Drill Hall in Grahamstown from July 2-8. Tickets are R40 per person, and are available from the National Arts Festival website www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. —