Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Finding faith in our art
Artscape Theatre celebrates Easter with a festival that explores our beliefs inthe
HAPPY Easter and Passover to theatregoers. With the commercial brouhaha enveloping religion at this time of the year, it’s great to see Artscape hosting an Easter Festival which provides a platform for artists to explore spirituality, faith, identity – religious and secular. The festival runs until April 18 and one of the featured productions is a double bill – consisting of two works – Limen and Secret Flames – which run back to back. They are on from April 9-18, at 7.30pm.
Limen, directed by Riaan Visman, is a Latin word, which can be “translated as ‘threshold’, referring to the creative, transitional, inbetween space between different positions. This work explores the spaces which embedded in the epic themes of Lent and Easter – that of waiting, wailing and rescuing hope”, said Visman.
Limen came about through an idea put to Visman by his friend, Reverend Laurie Gaum of the Centre for Spirituality in Rosebank. “Laurie came up with the idea of a theology drama which involves taking out the specifics of theology and religion and finding a common humanity that everyone can relate to, making it more universal. There’s a spiritual through-line that binds communities in general – because we have a shared humanity.”
Visman adds: “I have conceptualised a performance installation piece which starts outside the Arena, on the plaza facing the road.” Two vignettes are performed outside and one inside the theatre. The audience follows the performers: Eddie Newman, Charlene le Roux and Andile Velem. “
The vignettes are personal journeys. A woman (Le Roux) explores her feelings of the Easter hype. Limen is a conversation between audience and performers. We don’t mind if the audience chats while they are watching.”
Secret Flames was devised by the cast – Asiphe Lili, Sisipho Mbopa and Thulisa Mayalo – under the mentorship of Bulelani Mabutyana of the Ukao Theatre Company.
Lili and Mabutyana met when they were trainees at Magnet Theatre. The charismatic Lili is an intern at Magnet – specialising in set and costume design, which ties in with her other passion, fashion.
Although the script of Secret Flames is in Xhosa, she says, it is structured around physical theatre and a great deal is communicated visually, so non- Xhosa speakers should grasp what is happening.
“It’s about twin sisters who are being held back by their past. They are looking for their father but their mom won’t give details. We get flashbacks of the mother’s journey from the rural area to the urban.”
● Secret Flames (60 mins) is on first and then Limen (70 mins). There is an interval of 20 minutes. R100 for both. Book at Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or www. computicket.com or at Artscape on 021 421 7695.