A group of third-year Stellenbosch University (SU) drama students recently used their final practical assessments to highlight their own mental health challenges as a way to foster a sense of relatability with their audience.
This was according to Ashton Jansen, a third-year drama student at SU and performer in Should the Stars also go out?.
“It’s for the audience to know that this is not the end, whatever they’re feeling,” said Jansen.
Should the Stars also go out? was written, directed, and performed by seven third-year drama students at SU for their final exam productions on 25 October and 26 October, according to Griffin Poole, a third-year drama student at SU and cast member in the production.
The cast of ‘Should the Stars also go out?,’ a group of seven third-year drama students at Stellenbosch University who wrote, directed, and performed the show for their final creative production practical assessments at the Adam Small Theatre Complex on 26 October. Front (from left to right): Ellah Moremi, Anél de Wit, Tasheni Mutale, and Ashton Jansen. Back (from left to right): Jaco Victor, Joshua Fitt, and Griffin Poole. PHOTO: Amy Lindström
Mental health as a central theme
Should the Stars also go out? explored personal mental health challenges with the aim of leaving the audience feeling like they are not alone, said Jansen.
“It’s not to educate you or to tell you to ‘do this’ or ‘do that.’ There is a step after [struggling with your mental health], whatever that step might be. Even if you don’t know what it is yet, that’s okay too,” added Jansen.
It is rare for groups to opt for performances based on personal experiences, said Nicole Holm, the lecturer of theatre arts performance creation at SU’s drama department.
“We found that immediately post-Covid, most groups wanted to make theatre that is purely entertaining and it is only now that students are starting to, or able to, engage in more challenging material,” said Holm.
‘Should the Stars also go out?’ combined theatre with singing and dancing to create an immersive experience centred around mental health challenges, said Tasheni Mutale, a third-year drama student at Stellenbosch University and performer in ‘Should the Stars also go out?’. Pictured above is Joshua Fitt, Ashton Jansen, and Anél de Wit, members of the ‘Should the Stars also go out? cast. PHOTO: Amy Lindström
Strength in numbers
According to Jaco Victor, a third-year drama student at SU and performer in Should the Stars also go out?, displaying vulnerability on stage was daunting but he found strength in producing a show alongside his cast-mates with whom he could relate.
“I like to be in control, I like planning things. Relying on a group is tough but with that, especially with this, the group’s got you,” said Victor. “That security that the group gives is something I never really thought about.”
Anél de Wit, a fellow third-year drama student at SU and cast member in Should the Stars also go out?, shared similar feelings.
“It was fun and I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anybody else,” said De Wit.
Third-year drama students at Stellenbosch University (SU) have to conceive, write, source, direct, and market their plays. This was according to Nicole Holm, the lecturer of theatre arts performance creation at SU’s drama department. PHOTO: Supplied/Tasheni Mutale
Preparation for the world of theatre
According to Holm, the main aim of the theatre arts performance creation module is to prepare students The main aim of the theatre arts performance creation module is to prepare students for the real world of theatre production and to teach them the value of technical limitations, said Holm.
“The essence of theatre in South Africa is compromise: to be able to tell a story within very specific parameters,” said Holm. “The most valuable compromise they learn is that of negotiating other people.”
According to Poole, creating and performing Should the Stars also go out? helped him understand how multifaceted the drama industry is.
Tasheni Mutale and Ellah Moremi, two third-year drama students at Stellenbosch University, spoke to SMF News about where they found inspiration for their characters in ‘Should the Stars also go out?’. The show formed part of their final performance creation practical assessment, which they used to portray their own mental health challenges. VIDEO: Amy Lindström