Deadline: November 23,
2016, at 16h00
The Playhouse Company is holding auditions for three actors
to perform in its March 2017 schools production of Athol Fugard’s My Africa! My Children! The play has
been included in the school curriculum as an English set work for Grade 12
learners for 2017.
The play sees Mr M, a teacher at a fictitious school called
Zolile High, refereeing a debate whose subject is women not receiving the same
education as men. In favour is Thami, a promising 18-year-old student and a
favourite of Mr M. In opposition is Isabel, a White student visiting from
another school.
Following the debate, Mr M sees potential in the
intellectual pairing of Isabel and Thami and brings them together as a team for
the state-wide English literature competition. As they prepare under Mr M’s
tutelage, Isabel gains immense respect and admiration for Mr. M and forms a
deep friendship with Thami. Outside the classroom, Mr M’s hopes for Thami are
challenged by their generational divide and increasing political unrest under
the South African government’s policy of apartheid. Thami quits the competition
when he joins a student movement to boycott the school until Black people are
given an education equivalent to that of White people.
The tradition-bound Mr M regards Thami’s actions as
destructive and co-operates with the police by informing against the boycotting
students. Thami’s comrades retaliate; a mob approaches the school, intending to
kill Mr M for his betrayal. Thami tries to help Mr M escape by offering to
vouch for Mr M’s innocence, but Mr M refuses the protection of a lie and stands
his ground. The mob kills him. Isabel struggles to comprehend why it seems that
the Black community is tearing itself apart. She sees Thami one last time after
Mr M’s murder. Thami plans to flee the country to avoid arrest so that he can
continue fighting against apartheid.
The Playhouse Company is holding auditions for the three
characters in the play:
Mr M, a 57-year-old black South African teacher at Zolile
High School who he believes that education is the most powerful tool in the
struggle for freedom and equality.
Thami Mbikwana, an 18-year-old Black student in Mr M’s
class. He an intelligent student and a favourite of Mr M’s with dreams of
higher education. He is a part of the student movement against apartheid.
Isabel Dyson, an 18-year-old White student from the
all-white Camdeboo Girls’ High School. She is an aspiring writer, brought to
Zolile High School for a student debate.
Experienced actors who are interested in playing one of
these roles are asked to call Nicolene Marchand urgently on 031 369 9467 to
book a slot. Call between 09h00 and12h00 or 14h00 and 16h00 daily.
Only when a booking slot has been allocated can the actors
attend the audition. Please note that the closing date for slot bookings is November
23 2016 at 16h00. The auditions will be held on November 28, 2016. Interested
actors must be available from February 6 to March 31, 2017.
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