Johannesburg Civic Theatre - Revision history

Darryl: /* Phase 1: The Civic Theatre under Michal Grobbelaar (1962 to 1993) */

2025-12-31T17:47:30Z

Phase 1: The Civic Theatre under Michal Grobbelaar (1962 to 1993)

Darryl: /* Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000) */

2025-12-31T17:39:07Z

Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000)

Darryl: /* Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000) */

2025-12-31T17:37:55Z

Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000)

Darryl: /* Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre */

2025-12-31T17:35:18Z

Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre

Darryl: /* Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre */

2025-12-31T17:33:07Z

Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre

Darryl: /* Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre */

2025-12-31T17:31:50Z

Productions in the renovated Civic Theatre

Darryl: /* Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000) */

2025-12-31T17:30:34Z

Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000)

Darryl: /* Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000) */

2025-12-31T17:30:18Z

Phase 2: The Janice Honeyman years (1993 to 2000)

Darryl: /* Phase 3: Bernard Jay and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009) */

2025-12-31T17:28:35Z

Phase 3: Bernard Jay and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)

Darryl: /* Phase 3: Bernard Jay and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009) */

2025-05-21T13:50:55Z

Phase 3: Bernard Jay and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:47, 31 December 2025
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	However, once the [[State Theatre]] complex was in operation in Pretoria after 1981, the Civic Theatre/[[PACT]] relationship became more complicated. Besides the growing budgetary pressures faced by PACT to make maximum use of the new [[State Theatre]]'s facilities, the costs of mounting major productions on two stages of different sizes and configurations in two neighbouring but separate cities meant a decrease in the number of PACT productions brought to Johannesburg from Pretoria.		However, once the [[State Theatre]] complex was in operation in Pretoria after 1981, the Civic Theatre/[[PACT]] relationship became more complicated. Besides the growing budgetary pressures faced by PACT to make maximum use of the new [[State Theatre]]'s facilities, the costs of mounting major productions on two stages of different sizes and configurations in two neighbouring but separate cities meant a decrease in the number of PACT productions brought to Johannesburg from Pretoria.
		+
		+	===Johannesburg Civic Marionette Theatre===
		+
		+	Managing Director [[Michal Grobbelaar]] had a particular fascination and interest in puppetry and puppet theatre, leading to the establishment of the Civic Theatre's own puppet theatre in 1964 for performances for children.
		+
		+	'''For more information, see [[Johannesburg Civic Marionette Theatre]].'''

	===Productions===		===Productions===

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 == Phase 2: The [[Janice Honeyman]] years (1993 to 2000) ==
-Renovated 1991 and re-openend in September 1992 with an initially controversial but ultimately acclaimed tour by the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
+Renovated 1991 and re-openend in September 1992 with an initially controversial but ultimately acclaimed tour by the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Besides a nearly sold-out, month-long run, the dancers and their leader, Arthur Mitchell, carried out a schedule of workshops, demonstrations and master-classes - co-organised with the [[Market Theatre]], community organisations and dance groups - that reached more than 25,000 people throughout the entire Witwatersrand area.
 During the early post-apartheid years the [[Johannesburg Civic Theatre]] continued functioning as a city theatre, subsidised by the city and running at an annual financial loss. In July 1993 established stage director [[Janice Honeyman]] was appointed Artistic Director and Deputy Executive Director of  the Civic, working with Executive Director [[Alan Joseph]]. Her main contribution was the development and staging of original productions at the complex. In June 1994 [[Tale Motsepe]] was appointed as Development Manager with the specific brief to concentrate on the broadening of the Civic’s audience to include more of the black majority, whereas the complex’s traditional audience was predominantly drawn from the white urban population. Playwright/director [[Jerry Mofokeng]] was appointed Assistant Artistic Director in February 1995 to support Honeyman.

@@ Line 132: / Line 132: @@
 == Phase 2: The [[Janice Honeyman]] years (1993 to 2000) ==
-Renovated 1991 and re-openend in 1992.
+Renovated 1991 and re-openend in September 1992 with an initially controversial but ultimately acclaimed tour by the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
 During the early post-apartheid years the [[Johannesburg Civic Theatre]] continued functioning as a city theatre, subsidised by the city and running at an annual financial loss. In July 1993 established stage director [[Janice Honeyman]] was appointed Artistic Director and Deputy Executive Director of  the Civic, working with Executive Director [[Alan Joseph]]. Her main contribution was the development and staging of original productions at the complex. In June 1994 [[Tale Motsepe]] was appointed as Development Manager with the specific brief to concentrate on the broadening of the Civic’s audience to include more of the black majority, whereas the complex’s traditional audience was predominantly drawn from the white urban population. Playwright/director [[Jerry Mofokeng]] was appointed Assistant Artistic Director in February 1995 to support Honeyman.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:35, 31 December 2025
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	1995: [[Geoffrey Sutherland]], [[Andrew Botha]] and [[Graham Scott]]’s production of ''[[Queen at the Opera]]'' was staged here circa 1995 and in 1996.		1995: [[Geoffrey Sutherland]], [[Andrew Botha]] and [[Graham Scott]]’s production of ''[[Queen at the Opera]]'' was staged here circa 1995 and in 1996.
		+
		+	1997: [[Mothobi Mutloatse]]'s musical, ''[[Kippie - the Legend is Remembered!]]''

	1998: ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'', starring [[James Ngcobo]] and [[Russel Savadier]].		1998: ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'', starring [[James Ngcobo]] and [[Russel Savadier]].

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:33, 31 December 2025
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	1998: ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'', starring [[James Ngcobo]] and [[Russel Savadier]].		1998: ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'', starring [[James Ngcobo]] and [[Russel Savadier]].
		+
		+	1999: [[Ian von Memerty]]'s ''[[Fiela's Child]]''.

	==Phase 3: [[Bernard Jay]] and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)==		==Phase 3: [[Bernard Jay]] and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)==

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:31, 31 December 2025
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	1995: [[Geoffrey Sutherland]], [[Andrew Botha]] and [[Graham Scott]]’s production of ''[[Queen at the Opera]]'' was staged here circa 1995 and in 1996.		1995: [[Geoffrey Sutherland]], [[Andrew Botha]] and [[Graham Scott]]’s production of ''[[Queen at the Opera]]'' was staged here circa 1995 and in 1996.
		+
		+	1998: ''[[Waiting for Godot]]'', starring [[James Ngcobo]] and [[Russel Savadier]].

	==Phase 3: [[Bernard Jay]] and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)==		==Phase 3: [[Bernard Jay]] and the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd (2000-2009)==

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 In the mid-1990s strong focus was also placed on developmental work at the Johannesburg Civic, developing audiences, specifically from the historically disadvantaged communities, while at the same time developing emerging theatre-makers through the annual [[New Stages]] project. Beginner playwrights, directors and actors were invited to take part in the project and to present their work. Dramatised play readings were facilitated and the most promising talent was selected and developed and their productions were staged at the Civic.
-The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arrived for its two widely heralded tours in 1997 and 1998. The effort brought together sponsorship from the J. P. Morgan banking group and several South African-based companies, along with an increasingly confident Civic Theatre management. Both Alvin Ailey company visits featured workshops, master-classes, and other presentations directed �������towards South Africa's dance community, in addition to the actual theatre performances.
+The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arrived for its two widely heralded tours in 1997 and 1998. The effort brought together sponsorship from the J. P. Morgan banking group and several South African-based companies, along with an increasingly confident Civic Theatre management. Both Alvin Ailey company visits featured workshops, master-classes, and other presentations directed towards South Africa's dance community, in addition to the actual theatre performances.
 In June 1998 the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council announced that it would cut the Civic Theatre’s artistic budget of R26 million by 40%. The Johannesburg Civic Theatre was the only complex of its size that received no government subsidy and was totally reliant on funding by the local metropolitan government. The Civic suddenly found itself in a serious financial dilemma, which was exacerbated considerably by the more than R100 million debt incurred by the previous management for extensive rebuilding and renovations during the late 1980s, prior to the reopening of the complex in 1992.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 31 December 2025
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	In the mid-1990s strong focus was also placed on developmental work at the Johannesburg Civic, developing audiences, specifically from the historically disadvantaged communities, while at the same time developing emerging theatre-makers through the annual [[New Stages]] project. Beginner playwrights, directors and actors were invited to take part in the project and to present their work. Dramatised play readings were facilitated and the most promising talent was selected and developed and their productions were staged at the Civic.		In the mid-1990s strong focus was also placed on developmental work at the Johannesburg Civic, developing audiences, specifically from the historically disadvantaged communities, while at the same time developing emerging theatre-makers through the annual [[New Stages]] project. Beginner playwrights, directors and actors were invited to take part in the project and to present their work. Dramatised play readings were facilitated and the most promising talent was selected and developed and their productions were staged at the Civic.
		+
		+	The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater arrived for its two widely heralded tours in 1997 and 1998. The effort brought together sponsorship from the J. P. Morgan banking group and several South African-based companies, along with an increasingly confident Civic Theatre management. Both Alvin Ailey company visits featured workshops, master-classes, and other presentations directed ��towards South Africa's dance community, in addition to the actual theatre performances.

	In June 1998 the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council announced that it would cut the Civic Theatre’s artistic budget of R26 million by 40%. The Johannesburg Civic Theatre was the only complex of its size that received no government subsidy and was totally reliant on funding by the local metropolitan government. The Civic suddenly found itself in a serious financial dilemma, which was exacerbated considerably by the more than R100 million debt incurred by the previous management for extensive rebuilding and renovations during the late 1980s, prior to the reopening of the complex in 1992.		In June 1998 the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council announced that it would cut the Civic Theatre’s artistic budget of R26 million by 40%. The Johannesburg Civic Theatre was the only complex of its size that received no government subsidy and was totally reliant on funding by the local metropolitan government. The Civic suddenly found itself in a serious financial dilemma, which was exacerbated considerably by the more than R100 million debt incurred by the previous management for extensive rebuilding and renovations during the late 1980s, prior to the reopening of the complex in 1992.

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 When he was appointed, and given his professional background, many expected that [[Bernard Jay]] would fill the Civic’s stages with imported pot-boilers and sure hit productions from Broadway and the West End and provide little opportunity for local theatre-makers. In the first two financial years of the new Civic Theatre company 130 productions were staged in the two main venues, the Nelson Mandela and [[Tesson Theatre]]s. Of the 130 productions, 18 featured artists from overseas and the remaining 112 were staged and performed by South Africa theatre-makers. Although the main objective and the business strategy of the Civic was dictated by hard financial principles, the South African theatre industry were provided a well-run professional venue which was building a large and loyal audience. The main focus during the first few years was on audience development rather than talent development, and Jay stated in a 2003 interview, “If we concentrate on giving the audience a good time and they keep coming back, the direct result will be that there will be money for artist development” (Cox, 2003). Indeed, as the Civic became commercially more stable, the CEO showed the promised support for the development of local theatre art by facilitating (rent free) the newly-formed Johannesburg [[Actors’ Centre]] in the Civic complex. The Centre was based on similar ones in New York and London and provided a facility for professional actors to meet and to practise and develop their art and their skills. The space provided to the [[Actors’ Centre]] consisted of a small theatre, offices, a bar foyer and a lounge.
-In late 2003, after its first three years of operation, the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd was running at a profit and had an annual turnover of R30 million. The [[Nelson Mandela Theatre]] was booked until the end of 2005 and the theatres were running at 80% capacity (compared to 20% before the company had gone commercial), selling in excess of 300,000 tickets per year (Lawrence, 2003). In 2005 [[PANSA]] commented in their report, “It is noteworthy that the box office income of R18,4m of the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, a receiving house in Johannesburg, exceeded the combined box office income of the four former performing arts councils, now all having similar ‘receiving house’ mandates” (Performing Arts Network of South Africa, 2005: 38). Bernard Jay and his team had managed admirably to move their operation out of the arts and culture industry and solidly into the commercial entertainment industry. [Van Heerden (2008)][http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.sun.ac.za%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10019.1%2F1443%2Fvanheerden_theatre_2008.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=_egBU77CNYWJhQeE5oCADQ&usg=AFQjCNEWnD1BzeLnFmOV2tvyGLoMyNeT6Q&bvm=bv.61535280,d.Yms]
+In late 2003, after its first three years of operation, the Johannesburg Civic Theatre (Pty) Ltd was running at a profit and had an annual turnover of R30 million. The [[Nelson Mandela Theatre]] was booked until the end of 2005 and the theatres were running at 80% capacity (compared to 20% before the company had gone commercial), selling in excess of 300,000 tickets per year (Lawrence, 2003).
 ===Productions===

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 Jay supported the ideal of incorporating the black community into the audiences at his theatre, but never at the cost of sound, commercial business principles. In January 2001 he told [[The Sowetan]] newspaper, “I agree that I would be fooling myself if I believed I could develop new theatre audiences without looking at the potential of theatre audiences among black people. The audience has to be recruited from the ranks of the upwardly mobile blacks. Let's face the facts. While I am not trying to run a theatre exclusively for the elite, theatre is the most expensive form of entertainment and only people with a certain income level can afford it. You cannot run into the middle of Soweto and try to convince people clinging to their last cent to buy a theatre ticket instead of food. My contention is that the starting point is to have a marketing strategy that targets the black middle class with disposable income. That is where the money is in the black community...” ([[Edward Tsumele|Tsumele]], 2001). [Van Heerden (2008)][http://www.google.co.za/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fscholar.sun.ac.za%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10019.1%2F1443%2Fvanheerden_theatre_2008.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=_egBU77CNYWJhQeE5oCADQ&usg=AFQjCNEWnD1BzeLnFmOV2tvyGLoMyNeT6Q&bvm=bv.61535280,d.Yms]
-The new CEO positioned his theatre clearly, “The Civic is not in the arts and culture industry, it is in the entertainment industry” (Gordon-Brown, 2003). In the selection of productions to be staged at the Civic Theatre complex Jay focused strongly on popular, commercial appeal and he placed an equally strong emphasis on the publicity and marketing of the company’s offerings in its three venues, the [[Main Civic Theatre]] (1,069 seats), the [[Tesson Theatre]] (251 seats) and the [[People’s Theatre]] (176 seats). In August 2001 he pulled off a brilliant marketing coup when the Main Civic Theatre was rechristened the [[Nelson Mandela Theatre]]. The unequivocally commercial approach to popular entertainment theatre was also underlined in naming the Johannesburg Civic complex “Times Square at the Civic”.
+The new CEO positioned his theatre clearly, “The Civic is not in the arts and culture industry, it is in the entertainment industry” (Gordon-Brown, 2003). In the selection of productions to be staged at the Civic Theatre complex Jay focused strongly on popular, commercial appeal and he placed an equally strong emphasis on the publicity and marketing of the company’s offerings in its three venues, the [[Main Civic Theatre]] (1,069 seats), the [[Tesson Theatre]] (251 seats) and the [[Peoples Theatre]] (176 seats). In August 2001 he pulled off a brilliant marketing coup when the Main Civic Theatre was rechristened the [[Nelson Mandela Theatre]]. The unequivocally commercial approach to popular entertainment theatre was also underlined in naming the Johannesburg Civic complex “Times Square at the Civic”.
 [[Bernard Jay]] had completely shifted the Civic’s earlier emphasis on the creation of original indigenous theatre and the development of black theatre-makers and audiences to a purely business-oriented commercial theatre facility, serving audiences  from all cultural and ethnic groups, who could afford the price of a ticket for popular, high-end theatrical entertainment. By the beginning of 2002 the Civic’s stages were booked for more than 90 percent of the 365-day year, the company boasted a pre-tax surplus of R3,5 million in its first year of operation and the line-up for 2002 included two world premières of musicals and visits by three leading international ballet companies. The [[Nelson Mandela Theatre]] was booked for 95 percent of the year (Accone, 2002).