A group of students from the department of drama at Stellenbosch University (SU) had the opportunity to perform at the recent Suidoosterfees. This annual theatre event took place at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town from 28 April to 1 May.
Five SU students participated in Suidoosterfees, including four students from the honours acting class and one student who specialises in directing. These students were Alysa-Abby Kekana, Damien de Villiers, Bella-Donna Draper, Chloé van Rooyen and Liza van Wyk, who specialises in directing, according to Rooyen.
Pictured above are Alysa-Abby Kekana and Bella-Donna Draper in the production New Year’s Eve, which was performed at Suidoosterfees 2022. They are two of five students who participated in this prestigious event and are from Stellenbosch University’s BA honours theatre and performance (with specialisation in acting) class. PHOTO: Supplied/Liza Van Wyk
Students from the class took part in two productions, namely New Year’s Eve and Rondomtalie, which featured in the NATi (Nasionale Afrikaanse Teater-Inisiatief) Youth Theatre section of the festival programme, according to the Suidoosterfees website.
The festival allows a space for rising stars to show their talent, stated Rafiek Mammon, a creative consultant for Suidoosterfees and a mentor for the NATi Jong Sterre project. “It nurtures new talents through its talent searches and mentoring programme.”
Mammon also serves as an external lecturer, along with Gary Naidoo, for the honours acting class. Both were brought in by Nicole Holm, the acting convenor for the honours class, to lecture for the first semester. Mammon and Naidoo also wrote and directed both of the productions that the students participated in.
“Talented, dedicated and passionate”
Holm stated via email correspondence with MatieMedia that she was “immensely grateful” to Suidoosterfees for allowing the students to participate in the festival and that she felt very proud that the department was able to offer the students this opportunity.
Mammon also expressed pride in the students and their performances, saying that they are “talented, dedicated and passionate” students who took to the mature material of their work like “proverbial ducks to water”.
The students received tremendous feedback and many did not believe that these students were not professionals due to the calibre of their performances, stated Mammon.
Lights, camera and opportunity
Pictured above are three of the five students from Stellenbosch University’s department of drama honours class that participated in the recent Suidoosterfees. The students are Liza van Wyk (far left), Damien de Villiers (middle) and Chloé van Rooyen (far right). PHOTOS: Supplied/Rafiek Mammon
“It was such a learning opportunity; putting our theory into practice was something that we were so blessed to have because [Suidoosterfees] is on such a large scale,” said Kekana.
“It was such a learning opportunity; putting our theory into practice was something that we were so blessed to have because [Suidoosterfees] is on such a large scale,” said Alysa-Abby Kekana, a student from Stellenbosch University’s department of drama honours acting class. PHOTO: Tamia Retief
The environment was exciting and attendees and performers were “hungry for theatre”, said De Villiers.
Damien de Villiers, who is a student in Stellenbosch University’s BA honours theatre and performance (with specialisation in acting) course, commented on the growth that Suidoosterfees has seen this year due to relaxed Covid-19 restrictions. AUDIO: Supplied/Damien de Villiers
Van Rooyen echoed De Villiers’ feelings regarding the festival and stated that she learned a lot from both Mammon and Naidoo. Despite the nerves, it was a “really cool opportunity”, she added.
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) BA honours theatre and performance (with specialisation in acting) class recently participated in Suidoosterfees 2022. At the festival, they performed in two productions namely Rondomtalie and New Year’s Eve. According to Rafiek Mammon, a creative consultant for Suidoosterfees, a mentor for the NATi Jong Sterre project and external lecturer for the acting class, performances of these productions will take place at the Adam Small Theatre at the drama department in Stellenbosch around 25 May. PHOTO: Tamia Retief.