WGSA CHARACTERIZATION DISCUSSION

(Dr Eubulus Timothy)

Local writers are invited to gather for an informal discussion in Durban on Wednesday.

The KZN branch of the Writers Guild of South Africa (WGSA) continues its monthly meetings and writing-related workshops with an informal discussion on Characterization by Dr Eubulus Timothy. The meeting and discussion on Characterization is open to the public and takes place on Wednesday (May 22).

Born and raised in Durban, Dr Timothy is an award winning writer, director and producer. He completed his O and A levels in London and qualified as a dental surgeon. He also holds Graduate and Post Graduate Diplomas in Implantology, Aesthetics, Marketing Management and Journalism.

In Hollywood, Dr Timothy won the prestigious Harley-Merrill Screenwriting Award. He trained as a director under Randy Zisk (Monk, Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy, Weed, Memphis Beat) and Allan Arkush (Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Ally McBeal, Melrose Place).

In South Africa he directed the feature film Othello and numerous short films, including Short Cuts, for the SABC. He produced Cape Night Live, which introduced Mark Lottering to South African television audiences.

Dr Timothy started a Performance School in Cape Town with past students including South African Idol Heinz Winckler and TV actress Kim Engelbrecht, to name a few. He was the founding Chairperson of the Cape Film Commission and consultant for the formation of the Durban Film Office. He also holds a Diploma in Directing and a Diploma in Cinematography from the Los Angeles City College Film School. At Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy, he developed the Acting for the Camera course. Famous Alumni include Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin.

He has produced and directed major events for South African Embassies and Commissions around the world, including the 10 years Celebration on Zoo Lake, Singapore, South Africa Week in South Korea, and the Tsoetsi Pre-Oscar Party at The Beverley Hilton in Beverly Hills. Recently he directed the opening of the SAIFTA launch.

As vice chairperson of the Writers Guild of South Africa (which represents performance writers from the fields of film, television, stage and new media), Dr Timothy will also use the opportunity to answer queries about the Writers Guild, and the benefits of membership.

The meeting and discussion is open to members of the public and takes place on May 22 from 18h00 to 20h00 at Eatwise, 41 Marriot Road, Morningside, Durban. Attendance is free with bookings and queries at 082 074 6656 or 082 573 3704.

A NEW LIFE

(Vusi Makhanya encourages Tanya Govender to dance with him)

A heartwarming and inspirational experience. (Review by Keith Millar)

With principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, A New Life premiered at Stable Theatre over the weekend. It was a heartwarming and inspirational experience as a group of youngsters from Special Needs schools in Durban took to the stage – joy, wonder and profound fulfillment radiating from their smiling faces.

The production, which is described as “A Fun Dance Drama with a Huge Heart”, formed part of The Indian Academy of South Africa’s 2013 Heritage Series. It was conceived and directed by Durban theatre luminary Caroline Smart. Her inspiration came from the late Dr TP Naidoo, founder of the Academy, who dealt with his own immobility problems with dignity and determination.

Caroline Smart’s vision was to provide a platform for a group of physically challenged youngsters to develop their creative abilities, make a meaningful contribution to a professional production, and to entertain. All this through the use of the beautiful and expressive movements of both Indian classical and contemporary dance.

Helping her realise her vision was one of the country’s leading exponents of Indian dance, the beautiful Verushka Pather, and the renowned contemporary dancer and choreographer, Vusi Makhanya.

Verushka’s solo dance in the show is exquisite with all the expression and gorgeous movement which form part of this refined form of dance. She is joined by a troupe of young dancers from her company who also make an impressive contribution to the dazzling eastern sounds, colours and mood of the show.

Then there is the incomparable Vusi Makhanya. This man is a serious talent. He is well-built and muscular but moves with the grace of a gazelle. His solo dance was breathtaking. Athletic, physical and very elegant. The cross-cultural duet he performed with Verushka was enthralling and memorable.

But most extraordinary was Vusi’s interaction with the disabled youngsters. The encouragement and understanding he offered led to them performing with enjoyment and elation which was palpable. I am sure he got more out of them than even they ever believed was possible.

These physically challenged young people were undoubtedly the stars of the show.

From the VN Naik School for the Deaf were Xolani Mbatha, Kaylan Reddy and Ezile Bekebu. They provided a delightful dance number. It was energetic and perfectly synchronized – and they couldn’t hear a note of the music which was playing for the benefit of the audience. They work solely from cues and a strong sense of rhythm.

From Cheshire Homes in Chatsworth came Khethelo Doncabe, Thobani Malevu and the captivating Tanya Govender. All three have cerebral palsy and their movement is severely compromised. However, they were able to contribute in a meaningful way with a remarkable performance of movement and rhythm.

Also part of the show was the Cheshire Homes’s care-giver Samke Dlamini and two young dancers from Vusi Makhanya’s Kwa Mashu School of Dance.

The crowning moment of A New Life is when Vusi lifts Tanya (squealing with delight) onto his shoulder in a perfectly co-ordinated movement. Wheelchair-bound Tanya dreams of being a dancer - and A New Life allows her to become one.

With principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund A New Life aims to contribute into the future and is available for fundraising or special events. For more information contact Vasantha Naidoo, Deputy Director of the Indian Academy of South Africa, on 074 124 6889. – Caroline Smart

STILL LIFE

(“Still Free” by Mook Lion)

The KZNSA will host the opening of Durban-based artist Mook Lion's exhibition Still Life on May 21.

Says the artist: "In my art practice this year I focused on creating artwork within the public space using conceptual and aesthetic approaches of traditional and contemporary fine art. I hoped to make artwork that has a positive impact on the people of Durban on two levels; firstly and most importantly to reactivate neglected spaces in Durban, creating new areas of cultural interest. Secondly, by creating artwork which aims at generating dialogue with the public surrounding contemporary issues.

"Research on the social role of Street Art, Mural Art and Graffiti has revealed that many people believe that the most important role played by art is its power to communicate. A powerful artwork potentially creates a dialogue between the artist and the audience (Dewey in Mattern, 1999). Artwork in a gallery fulfils this role, but the audience is limited to those who have been educated to interact with art in a gallery environment.

"I have attempted to create artwork in the public space which members of the public can relate to; potentially identifying common issues and goals. Durban is filled with wasted and neglected spaces with little visual appeal. Artwork has the potential to turn such negative spaces into vibrant areas of cultural interest. In this way, through my art practice, I have hoped to make the public aware of their environment. The heightened awareness of one’s environment encourages the individual to be a more involved community member, creating a meaningful engagement with the world, socially and physically. (FaridaB, 2012)"

Still Life opens on May 21 at 18h00 at the KZNSA Gallery at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051 or cell 082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

PARADISE LOST

(Untitled (Snare) by Tom Van Herrewege)

The KZNSA will host the opening of Tom van Herrewege's solo exhibition Paradise Lost on May 21.

“The title is ‘borrowed’ from the epic poem by English poet John Milton which concerns the story of the fall of man, and of (our) expulsion from Paradise. This new body of work by London-based artist Tom Van Herrewege draws the viewer inexorably, beguilingly, into the beauty of the animal kingdom…like a snare.

Van Herrewege is currently on a residency with the KZNSA Gallery as part of the Gallery’s Social Art in Development (SAID) Programme, supported by the National Lotteries Distribution Fund. The artist undertook a similar residency in Cairns, Australia in early 2011. He holds an MA in Fine Art and Painting from the Wimbledon School of Art, London (2005/6). The artist’s previous exhibition titles - Collections, Are you Dead and Transfauna - provide a telling glimpse into his abiding interest in the animal kingdom.

“My research is largely informed by the history of animal representation within art and natural history,” says Van Herrewege. “I look at the ways animals are presented through the media and their display in collections and the various languages we invent and adopt to understand them. I am drawn to the abstraction of information that occurs through man’s translation and presentation of findings from natural history in museums, Wunderkammern and collections of curiosities.

“The allure of 'the big 5' drew me briefly to SA in 2002. But my main subject matter actually focuses more on the less celebrated creatures of the world such as insects, reptiles and other lesser known or admired fauna.”

Most notably, as the artist expressed in casual conversation, “creepy-crawlies that can kill you…”

Van Herrewege’s interest in taxidermy led him to investigate the dioramas at the Durban and Pietermaritzburg Natural Science Museums. His work often depicts features from animal forms, juxtaposed with man-made materials in order to highlight the beauty of the animal. With trepidation the artist approached these institutions with a view to placing his sculptures in the dioramas.

“It is the ways that animals are removed from their environments and understood as both objects and living beings that informs my artistic research and practise, within which no animals are ever harmed or killed for the purpose of making art,” he says. “I choose to portray animals in my work through a great admiration for them. I re-examine these subjects using the animal’s physical form as an entry point for transformation into a different physical form - placed in a reconsidered locale. These reworked images act quite like my own solutions to the complexity of the animal forms.”

KZNSA Gallery Curator Bren Brophy explains: “In his Diorama series of acrylics on canvas the artist treats the diorama diagrams as utopian colouring books. Without the text that conventionally accompanies each diagram they become mysterious and open to various interpretations, leaving one to wonder what is happening in the scene. He includes paint and colour as a human interference, mainly taking form as waste material that the animals are interacting with.”

“Protecting the object, attacking the object, investigating the object…the proverbial hunted hunting the hunter reveals itself as a powerful raison d'être in Van Herrewege’s work,” Brophy continues. “Everyone Against The Fucking Outback (Videography,10 mins) is a chilling take on the phobias that we humans so commonly endure for venomous snakes and insects. Here the work suggests that these phobias extend to the cultural prejudices that the ‘civilised’ citizens of urbanity feel toward the uncivilised outback or ‘wilderness’.”

There is a videography work of a venomous snake resplendent and very much alive in a non-existent drawing of a box on the Gallery wall.

“Whilst it seems that we may have been expelled from paradise, as the title of this exhibition suggests, our collective humanity is not quite out of the woods yet. A must see exhibition,” adds Brophy.

Paradise Lost opens on May 21 at 18h00 at the KZNSA Gallery at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, in Durban. More information on 031 277 1703, fax 031 201 8051 or cell 082 220 0368 or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za

SHAKE IT OUT

Westville Boys High School Drama department sets the standard for young performers. (Review by Keith Millar)

I am constantly astounded and delighted by the quantity - and quality - of talent there is available at our schools in KZN. Given the opportunity, our youngsters come out in numbers to display their fantastic creative and performance skills in joyous abandon.

Currently it is the turn of Westville Boys High School to astound and amaze with their outstanding musical revue Shake It Out.  

The cast of 60 is made up of boys from Westville High, and girls drawn from several girls’ schools in the Highway area. They give their all in this song and dance extravaganza which is young, fresh, energetic and of a very high standard. They are backed by a superb 12-piece band as they belt out hit after hit. The music varies from contemporary interpretations of classics such as Who’s Pinball Wizard, Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger, to current club hits such as Starships, Edge of Glory and the 2012 smash hit Gangnam Style.

The show is slick, fast-moving, action-packed and very physical as the stage swarms with dancers. The choreography is outstanding with each number having its own mood, while the costumes dazzle and enchant. Most of the dance was athletic modern style but there were moments of beautiful ballet and even a bit of tap. Of particular note was the entire cast dancing in perfect unison to Gangnam Style with enjoyment and delight shining from their faces.

The lighting is simply stunning throughout and the sound mix out of the top drawer. Special pyrotechnic effects added an extra dimension to this Las Vegas style show.

Shake It Out is an ensemble work with the entire cast involved throughout. However, there were two performers who deserve special mention. Sarah Heron from St Mary’s is a talented singer who made a particular impression with a powerful rendition of I Will Always Love You. Aurey Livingstone, who also played electric and acoustic guitar in the band, was the lead vocalist on a few occasions and stood out with his version of Teenage Dream.

The very professional production team is undoubtedly the bedrock upon which the success of Shake It Out is built They deserve particular praise for their contributions to the show as well as for their efforts in coaching such a large group of youngsters into giving such memorable performances.

The show is devised and directed by Devin Möller and music direction is by Luke Holder. The superb choreography is by Fiona Barnes and Caeley van Doorn. Take a bow, all of you!

The technical aspects of the show were designed by two of Durban’s top practitioners with Megan Levy responsible for sound and Mike Broderick for lighting.

The Westville Boys High School Drama department has set the standard for young performers. If others follow this example, we are in for a rare treat.

Shake It Out runs until May 25 with shows on May 19, 21 and 23 in cinema style seating. On May 24 and 25 it will be “Barnyard” style. (BYO picnic baskets. Cash bar available). Tickets R80 (R60 learners). More information from Westville Boys High School on 031 2671330. – Keith Millar