LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION
Georgia Lahusen & David Fick
As the first-ever drama teacher at Springfield Convent, David Fick was welcomed into the fold, especially by the all-girl Catholic school’s drama crowd.
‘He was a young, fresh presence at the school’, says Georgia Lahusen. ‘I was in Grade 10 at the time, and in his first matric class.’
Georgia (28) is the associate producer of Cape Town’s Fugard Theatre, and credits David with cementing her love of theatre. While still the newbie teacher, David decided to take the lessons
he taught in the class to where the magic of his subject could come to life: the stage. He set up a Culture Club: students could join him to see theatre productions.
‘The stories would spark debates and discussions, and we’d really engage with the work,’ says Georgia. ‘Mr Fick just had a real love for teaching and seeing the best in his students.’
David prioritised learning over enforcing rules, earning himself a bit of a rep as ‘the cool teacher’.
‘I’d dyed some of my hair pink at the time,’ says Georgia. ‘But the school had a pretty strict code of conduct. So when he caught a glimpse of pink, he’d just subtly indicate that something pink was showing so I could hide it.’
Over time, their student-teacher relationship became a friendship.
‘David is also a drama graduate and knows how hectic the audition process is. He helped me choose audition pieces and assisted with my entrance essay when I applied to UCT.’ Georgia graduated in 2013 with an honours in Acting.
‘We’ve become great friends,’ says Georgia. ‘We go to a lot of plays and musicals together. I saw the production where he met his husband and it was a privilege to go to his wedding last year.’
In 2008, while Georgia was still in school, she played the lead in Antigone, a Greek tragedy by Sophocles that David had adapted and directed. This year, he revived the classic. ‘It was amazing to see how David finds a way to make the material relevant to girls and to the world they live in. That’s what makes him such a great teacher.’
‘To him, it didn’t matter that I had pink hair. It didn’t change my ability to learn.’