Preview: The Young Professionals at Theatre Arts, Cape Town – inaugural season 2023- showcasing work by graduates

Preview: Begin the Year with The Young Professionals at Theatre Arts, Cape Town – inaugural season 2023– showcasing work by graduates as they begin their professional careers

Theatre Arts in Observatory, Cape Town is launching 2023 with an exhilarating showcase of work by young graduates: The Young Professionals. The work has been acclaimed at festivals such as The National Arts Festival in Makhanda and on other platforms. In many ways, the productions are vital calling-cards, which provide a sense of what creatives have accomplished. This season at Theatre Arts, provides the opportunity for audiences and producers to see the work and hopefully book shows for other venues. There are six shows and they will be staged from January 30 to February 11, 2023. The platform is being presented festival style: Watch two shows on a night and marvel at the incredible talent of these young professionals. Please support this initiative and scroll down for link to donate to the Back a Buddy campaign. Oh, and how about a sponsor for a generator or for a solar power source for this independent theatre? Read on for more about this innovative and exciting platform:

Begin the Year with The Young Professionals

Each year a new cohort of young graduates from the many tertiary institutions around the country enter the creative industry, brimming with talent and enthusiasm. Their final year is brought to a close with performances that are staged a few times and then shelved. Despite the investment of time and resources many of these productions are never seen again. 2023 is different though. The Young Professionals are bringing the best of their final year work to a local stage, and you have the opportunity to see them as they begin their burgeoning careers.

This is the first iteration of The Young Professional at Theatre Arts, and we hope it ushers in a regular season of work staged by graduates as they begin their professional careers. This year we have productions from local institutions, the CTDPS at UCT and Stellenbosch University and from the Eastern Cape, three productions from Rhodes University. There is comedy, drama, dance and a digital offering all showcasing the talents of the new generation of theatre makers, actors and dancers.

You’ve seen Shakespeare in the park, but have you watched Romeo and Juliet in the church hall as they overcome cultural barriers in the Anglo Boer War. No? Well Anglo Angst provides you with just that opportunity. Both a comedy and a musical this cast retells the classic love story with a few very surprising twists.

Rhodes University brings three productions: a dance, drama and the only digital work on the programme. Mafungwashe opens the season. Written and directed by Siyabulela Javu in collaboration with the cast of graduates it explores a spiritual black tax, the idea that the sins and gifts of those from the past are legacy of those in the present. Mafungwashe, the protagonist, finds herself indebted to her two grandmothers who present themselves as both living and spiritual beings. She navigates the payment of her debts by taking care of her ill father, confronting an oppressive education system and of course, connecting with the two matriarchs through visions, dreams, and memory.

Buyani also directed by Siyabulela premiered at the National Arts Fringe Festival in June 2022. It explores the journey of four strangers whose lives are intertwined after they are brutally cast out from their villages. They are called to a magical forest which contains gifts, obstacles and teachings that are to change their lives forever.

Tasmin Sherman tells a weighty tale with wit and insight in My Weight and Why I carry it. Accompanied by an inflatable unicorn she bares her soul in an exploration of body weight and how people are quite comfortable with making moral judgments based on body metrics.

There are two dance productions from CTDPS (UCT). The ocean choreographed by Kevin Mdoka explores the life and trajectory of water and follows the different forms, bodies and expressions of water. This ecological meditation is informed by his relationship with his grandmother. The Different worlds of Limbo, presented by Meta -Collective -links four pieces which address various states of being. Reflecting on memories, time and experience the choreographic work displays the conceptual being of limbo and the fragility of mental well being.

The full programme includes Anglo Angst (University of Stellenbosch), Buyani (Rhodes University), Mafungwashe (Rhodes University), My Weight and Why I carry it (Rhodes University), The different worlds of Limbo (CTDPS) and The Ocean (CTDPS).

Crowdfunding and sponsorship in general

A crowdfunding campaign on Back a Buddy is raising funds to support the cost of the programme. Contributions can be made on https://www.backabuddy.co.za/the-young-professionals-2023-season2023 And, please consider donating to Theatre Arts so it can develop its other projects. It is tax deductible. Know anyone who is doing Estate Planning (as in wills)? Theatre Arts is a wonderful way to make a legacy contribution and facilitate the production costs for creatives in Cape Town and in South Africa.

Tickets are R80 for general admission with concessions for scholars, students, pensioners and block bookings @ R60. Bookings can be made https://theatrearts.co.za/

Parking and loadshedding advisory

Theatre Arts is at Methodist Church Hall, Cnr Milton Road and Wesley Street, Observatory. Street parking is available and the venue has a wheelchair accessible entrance. The schedule has been planned to take the load shedding schedule into account so while there is not an alternative energy supply, performances will not be affected by power outages.

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