Marguerite Isabel Murray

Marguerite Isabel Murray (1899-1983) was a teacher, lecturer, author, playwright, director and translator.

She published under the name M.I. Murray but was also credited as Marguerite I. Murray, Marguerite Murray and seemingly referred to as Maxie Murray as well.

The Susie Mey Viljoen is one of her sisters.

Biography

Born Marguerite Isabel Murray on 3 January 1899 in Robertson in the Western Cape, as one of nine children of the Rev. John Murray and Susanna Maria Murray. She matriculated at the high school in Robertson in 1917 and 1918 studied at what was then known as the Victoria College in Stellenbosch, where she was a founding member and first chairwoman of the Women's Student Union and also served on the student council.

After qualifying as a language teacher, she initially taught in Kakamas, followed by four years at Bloemhof High School[1] in Stellenbosch and six years at Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town. She was then appointed as a lecturer in Afrikaans in the Department of Education at the University of Cape Town, a position she held until her retirement in 1960. (The poet and playwright N.P. van Wyk Louw was a colleague in the department for a while.)

After her retirement, she lived in the retirement home Azaleahof in Stellenbosch till her passing on 25 July 1983.

Besides her interest in the Afrikaans language and her writing career, she was an avid collector of contemporary South Arican art, leaving her vast and important collection to the Sasol Art Museum[2] at the University of Stellenbosch.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

As an organiser and cultural activist

In 1934, was a co-founder, and later also chairwoman, of the Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (KAT) in Cape Town and in this capacity she did much to promote the Afrikaans theatre. She campaigned, among other things, for a theatre library and a theatre to be established in Cape Town. In 1937 she became a specialist member of the short-lived Toneelburo (theatre bureau) of the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (FAK).

In 1947 she undertook a study tour through Europe where she studied the stage, with particular reference to national, state and city theatres.

As a playwright

Her plays, puppet plays and play collections include Die Bron (1935), Binnehof, Op Pad na Bethlehem : 'n kersspel, So Onder Deur die Maan, Die Stem van die See, Helgaard Weder, Sneeu op die Ewenaar and Loekie.

Her novel, Witwater se Mense (published in 1974), was adapted for the stage by Alwyn Swart.

As a translator

Several of these plays in Afrikaans were translated by Marguerite from the original scripts.

As a director

She was responsible for the production of numerous plays in the 1930s, among them:

Mademoiselle, Hantie kom huis-toe (1933), Gebroke Drade, Die Nuwe Wêreld, Die Bron, Fritsie (1935), Vroueskool, Die Wildsboudjie, 'n Sonnige Dag, Paastyd, Mademoiselle, Beatriks Ursula, The Gioconda Smile, Die Indringer (1935), Die Hoogste Reg, Illusie-Simfonie, Die Man met die Blom in sy Mond, Moraal, Huis te Koop (1935), Gebroke Drade (1936)

As an actress

She had roles in Die Idioot (1943) and Die Gode Lag (1945).

Sources

Stellenbosch University Library catalogue.

https://www.stellenboschheritage.co.za/property/sasol-art-museum-bloemhof-school

Binge, 1969.

Nel, F.J. 1972.

The Marguerite Isabel Murray Collection is held at the Stellenbosch University Library Document Centre MS 307 in 3 pamphlet boxes. Description: Manuscripts ; notebooks ; speeches ; correspondence ; photographs ; clippings. This collection includes diverse documents regarding theatre as M.I. Murray was a member of the Kaapstadse Afrikaanse Toneelvereniging (KAT) as well as manuscripts of her own work as writer.

An inventory of the collection is available.

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