P.J. du Toit

There is more than person named P.J. du Toit in South African theatre:

= P.J. ("Piet" or "Jac") du Toit = (19*-) Actor and director. First professional appearance as an actor was in 1931(?*), when he appeared under the stage name Jac. Du Toit in Die Silwer Koning by the Hanekom-Van Zyl Geselskap. Later also appeared as Piet du Toit. Acted for Leonie Pienaar in Die Veroweraar (Simons-Mees) and Sakke Vol Geld (Evans and Valentine) in the early 1930s. Went on to become very active in the formation of Ons Teatertjie Toneelgroep (later the Volksteater) in Pretoria in 1935 and a fine actor for them. Appeared i.a. in Rooibruin Blare (H.A. Fagan, 1936), Liefdesvuur (Südermann, 194?*), Maria Stuart (Schiller, 1941),  Monna Vanna (Maeterlink, 1942), *. As director did *, and in 1947 directed ** for Volksteater, winning the Breytenbach-shield in the FATSSA competition. *

[JH/TH]

Biography
Born Petrus Jacobus du Toit on 24 November, 1942. Generally known as Peet du Toit, and publishing as P.J. du Toit.

At his retirement he was.

He studied at **. Completed a D.Phil in Drama at the University of Pretoria 1987.

He was a school teacher and lecturer - ultimately head of the Afrikaans and African languages Department - at the Pretoria Teachers Training College at the time of his retirement.

In his youth he was an avid amateur actor and director, a member of the Krugersdorp

His other interests were literature, food and South African antiques, a focus he combined in his book illustrated publication ''Skottel en Spens. Stories, verse en resepte uit die Afrikaanse koskultuur''. ("Dish and pantry: Stories, verses and recipes from the Afrikaans food culture", Duto Media, 2013).

Married Cecilia du Toit Celia Schoeman (Cecilia Schoeman) in 1978.

Du Toit died in Pretoria on 26 October, 2016.

His contribution
Academic, lecturer in Afrikaans literature at the Pretoria Teacher’s Training College, critic, editor and co-editor of a number Afrikaans play collections for use in schools, amateur actor and director.

A member of the Krugersdorp Municipal Dramatic and Operatic Society, *

Du Toit is the author of the first definitive book on Amateur Theatre in South Africa (entitled Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika), which had been his doctoral thesis at the University of Pretoria and was published 1988. He has also written handbooks on text analysis and compiled and co-edited a number of collections of Afrikaans plays for schools and universities.

He is a major contributor to the entry entitled Amateur Theatre in South Africa in ESAT.