View source for Hélène Pienaar-De Klerk

[[Hélène Pienaar-De Klerk]] (19??-1979) was an Afrikaans actress, playwright and director.  

Also known as '''[[Hélène de Klerk]]'''.

==Biography==

Born [[Hélène Pienaar]] in Somerset West, as the daughter of rev. P.J. Pienaar en Henriette Pienaar, she trained as a primary school teacher at the [[University of Cape Town]] and taught for about three years. She then returned to university to to study speech and drama and then joined the [[SABC]], where she tended to be the presenter of [[Afrikaans]] children's radio programmes and became known as the "Tannie van die Kinderhoekie" ("aunt of the children's corner"). She had to compile and present virtually every programme herself. Suitable material being rather scarce, she thus became an author, writing material for the programmes as well as other works.  

She then met and married [[Andries de Klerk]], also a dramatist and later Provincial Secretary for the Cape Province, and retired from the [[SABC]],  to write and raise their three daughters. 

She passed away on 4 December 1979 in Cape Town.

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

As an actress and theatre director she started in Pretoria, probably with [[Volksteater]], then moved to Cape Town where she worked with [[K.A.T.]], for example directing and playing the lead in ''[[Liefdesvuur]]'' in 1945. She also appeared in a number of radio plays. 

Her writing is largely verses, songs and plays for children, though she also wrote a few works for adults.  

She write some works with her husband, [[Andries de Klerk]], among them  the one act play ''[[Die Ring]]'' (1944), the collection of one-act plays ''[[Die Ring en Ander Eenbedrywe]]'' and ''[[Die ongebore dag]]'' (1944). 

Her own plays include: ''[[In ‘n Ou Kaapse Tuin]]'' (1952), ''[[Marionet aan die Muur]]'' (1963), ''[[Dienie Speel Toneel]]'', ''[[Ko-ee]]'', and ''[[As die Klok Twaalfuur Slaan]]''. She was also the co-author (with [[Kobus Louw]]) of the script for [[Stephan Bouwer]]'s TV drama ''[[Die Koster]]'', broadcast in 1968. (She is billed as [[Helene de Klerk]]).


As an translator and adaptor, she translated [[Joyce Wood]]'s  '' '' into [[Afrikaans]] as ''[[Ouma Loekie en haar hoede]]'' (1969) and adapted English and German songs into [[Afrikaans]] for the annual [[Eisteddfod]],  and shortly before her death, wrote some of the lyrics for the musical ''[[Beertjie met die gelapte broek]]'' (to music of [[Arthur Swanson]]).

== Sources ==

https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_de_Klerk

Go to the  [[ESAT Bibliography]]

== Return to ==

Return to [[ESAT Personalities  P]] 

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==Sources==

https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helene_de_Klerk

http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2004111723/




== Return to ==
Return to [[ESAT Personalities P]]

Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]

Return to [[Main Page]]