Samantha Pienaar

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Samantha Pienaar (19**-). Actress, director, choreographer and movement lecturer.

Biography

Samantha studied at Rhodes University Drama Department from 1989. Her interest in contemporary movement developed while she was there. She went on to the UCT Drama School for her Honours in Directing, after which she did a Masters in Choreography at Rhodes University (1994), where she was introduced to Physical Theatre.

With this rich background she took up a seven-year post at the Stellenbosch University Drama Department.

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

She was a member of First Physical Theatre Company and co-founder of Physical Joint Company of which productions include Day Breaking in Two.

She performed in The Unspeakable Story (1995), Mallemeulwals (1998), The Life and Times of Johnny Cockroach (1999).

Samantha directed The War of the Worlds (1999), The Contingency Plan (NAF 2000). She assisted Blaise Koch in directing The Crucible in 1999.

She choreographed Barcodes (1997) and directed and choreographed Grafwater: There is life after jumping (a true story). KKNK 1999.

In 2005 she created the dance drama I of Heart, based on the biography of heart surgeon Chris Barnard, Book of the Heart.

Sources

Die Burger, 16 May 2006.

Interviewed by Joanna Wright, Daily Dispatch, 11 July 2006.

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