Willie Adams

(1951-2012) Teacher, playwright and poet.

Biography

He was born on 24 March 1951 in Elsiesrivier and grew up in Bishop Lavis. He died on 18 June 2012.

Training

He studied at the University of the Western Cape and at the University of Cape Town.

Career

A teacher and lecturer at the Hewat Teacher's Training College, Cape Town. He was a founder member of the Afrikaanse Skrywersvereniging and of Domestica Publishers. He was active in the Black Consciousness Movement.

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

In the mid 1970s, notably 1976, he was involved with theatre work in Elsiesriver. They put on poetry readings and plays dealing with the everyday problems of people and sought to break down barriers between actors and audience.

In 1983 he and Leonard Koza founded Township Life, an amateur theatre group, to continue this work and for which they wrote plays. Later, when the group disintegrated, Adams kept on writing, though not part of a theatre group.

Author of a number of performed, but unpublished Afrikaans plays such as Episodes (1976), Die Hawkers (19*), Hypocrites (19*), Die Erfstuk ("The inherited piece" - 19*), Drie Ouroekers ("Three Old Smokers"?* -19*).

Sources

Smith, 1990;

January 1997.

Hein Willemse 2012.

Die Burger June 2012.

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