Motaung gives voice to faceless virus
Dramatist’s play uses psychodrama technique
Seasoned theatre maker and teacher Matlakala Motaung has dedicated her life to developing young people inAlexandra, northern Johannesburg, to become television and theatre stars.
Motaung, a big fan of psychodrama theatre technique, is one of the teachers at Alex Arts Academy (AAA) who are committed to producing the nextNomsa Buthelezi (presenter of Uyaphuza ), Meshack Mavuso (actor in The River and Durban Gen) and Mduduzi Mabaso ( Rhythm City), all from Alexandra.
The 52-year-old passionate teacher and her students will shine in the upcoming Current Affairs Theatre Festival where they will present plays as part of the incubator programme developing young writers and actors.
She is among the 10 directors who will present 10 plays that look at Covid-19 from different perspectives such as love, despair, anger, displacement, isolation and hope. The festival starts today and ends on Sunday at Alexsan Resource Centre.
With the play Faceless , Motaung takes theatre lovers on a scientific exploration of truth through psychodrama.
With Ntombizonke Mncube directing, the one-man show features Mike Dzova. Faceless is about a scientistwho creates viruses, and this one is so lethal and he cannot control it. Motaung says she was drawn to the show because she is a huge fan of psychodrama, having produced plays about HIV/Aids using the same technique.
With Faceless , Motaung poses the question: If Covid-19 was a human being what would it say to the people?
The play starts with President Cyril Ramaphosa talking about the outbreak and the fear it brought to people.
In the conversation, the humans believe that whoever created the virus must have been angry with the world and people. The scientist brags about having been producing deadly viruses but failing to control this certain virus. The scientist now wants the virus to stop killing people.
The virus says, ‘ I am comfortable and enjoying the moment ’,” she says.
The scientist tries to negotiatewith the viruswithout success as people continue to die, while poverty, crime and corruption increase. The scientist is forced to go back to the lab to create a vaccine.”
Born in Limpopo and raised in Alexandra, Motaung says she enjoys the psychodrama approach because it is about boundless creativity and using mystique language.
“I learnt this technique in France and I spent three years learning about it. It is used to change fear into a positive attitude. The technique is normally used by psychiatrists to change behaviours. In the show, the one actor plays three roles. I love it because this is where reality meets fantasy.”
Motaung says she always wanted to be in the performing space, having started her career as a singer in a band, but her parents never approved.
My parents always felt that the arts and theatre industry was not stable and I needed something stable. I studied teaching knowing that my heart was somewhere else.”
She did a degree in teaching and taught for years before she took the decision to join theatre. Unfortunately, in 2006 she was involved in a serious car crashwhere she lost memory and speech. Two years ago, she received a certificate of excellence from the Gauteng department of sports, arts, culture and recreation.