What an incredible thrill to have watched such a star-studded incredibly talented cast performing the set-work production of
The Crucible at
UJ Arts Centre last night.
Man, I just love the theatre, there is something so magical about a live performance created only for the pleasure and provocation of one group of people lucky enough to witness that one fleeting performance that will never quite be the same the next night or the next.

I have to say I was really excited to see this play (in spite of its heavy content), firstly to watch and support friends performing the work but also because I haven't seen a straight play in ages and was hungry for a classical piece of dramatic work.

This poignant Arthur Miller piece written in 1953 was presented in a way that drew me in and had me emotionally involved from start to finish. Particularly when I take into account that the play set during the Salem Witch trials of 1692, is based on
actual events where the vindictiveness of human nature fueled enraged religious witch hunts.
The sheer brilliance of the direction, performances and creative elements is testament to true theatrical talents in our country and for me as an actress, it had me metaphorically salivating to not only personally be doing work like this but also to watch more productions of its nature and quality.
Gimme more layered dual characterizations, more pure unadulterated theatre and more timeless classic plays!

The direction by
Alby Michaels blew me away with a wonderful blend of professional talents and up-and-coming UJ students. It was such a pleasure to watch friends
Neels Clasen, Cindy Swanepoel and
Jacques Bessenger performing this kind of material and I thoroughly enjoyed each of their performances.
Jacques Bessenger astounded me in his dual roles of
Reverend John Hale and
Reverend Parris; his transitions felt seamless and his fleshed out characters captivating. Neelsie, Neelsie... what can I say.. a man of many talents,
Neels Clasen as
John Proctor.. it's hard not to shed a tear when this mighty man breaks down and weeps on his knees in a bed of autumn leaves - powerful. I know
Cindy Swanepoel mostly from her comedy work and it was delightful to see her tackle both demanding roles of Abigail and Elizabeth Proctor with such fervor. It was my first time seeing
Lebohang Motaung (
Mr Thomas Putnam, Giles Corey and
Givenor Danforth) as well as
Chan Marti (
Mrs Putnam and
Rebecca Nurse) perform and they were both excellent in their dual portrayals. I thought the students held their own with a particular stand out performance by
Thobile Makukule as
Tituba.
Wow, the set by
Wilhelm Disbergen - so beautifully simplistic and clever, magical lighting by
Oliver Hauser (watched him since school and just love the work he's doing). The incredible masks were designed by friends
Toni Morkel and
Rob Pombo -
eek please can I have one? and brilliant costume design by
Jo Glanville - go Jo!

It's fun to see so many friends' creative work showcased and I feel a sense of 'big sister' pride in their successes. AND it's always a pleasure to have our mentorship graduate FADlings along who continue to grow together with us -
Roelien, Morne (aka James!) and
Michaela - Love you guys!
This piece is quoted in the program:

"
[W]e conceive the Devil as a necessary part of a respectable view of cosmology. Ours is a divided empire in which certain ideas and emotions and actions are of God, and their opposites are of Lucifer. it is as impossible for most men to conceive of a morality without sin as of an earth without a 'sky'. Since 1692 a great but superficial change has wiped out God's beard and the Devil's horns, but the world is still gripped between two diametrically opposed absolutes. The concept of unity, in which positive and negative are attributes of the same force, in which good and evil are relative, ever-changing, and always joined to the same phenomenon - such a concept is still reserved to the physical sciences and to the few who have grasped the history of ideas." Arthur Miller THE CRUCIBLE
I believe there may be only one performance left on this Saturday 15.00 at UJ Arts Centre so get onto Computicket or contact the
UJ Arts Centre offices during working hours. For more information call
011 559 3058
011 559 3058 or e-mail
preciousm@uj.ac.za. Tickets are R80, R70 for pensioners and R50 for students - nothing! Go see it!
(But take tissues and wear waterproof mascara)
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Chat soon guys!