Difference between revisions of "Molly Seftel"

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[[Molly Seftel]] (19**-). Actress. 
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'''Molly Seftel''' (b. 07/10/1930 - d. 05/01/2020) was an actress.  
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
  
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Molly Seftel was born in Johannesburg to Louis Seftel and his wife, Mary Rafel.  At one stage her father and later her mother ran a fresh produce stall at the Indian Fruit Market on the site where, many years later, their daughter would appear on the stage of the [[Market Theatre]].  Molly attended the Jeppe High School for Girls.  Some of her first stage appearances were for the [[Dramateers]], the [[East Rand Theatre Club]] and the [[University Players]].  Between 1954 and 1956 she was in England, but after her return she made regular appearances on the Johannesburg stage and elsewhere.  A striking-looking woman, her work ranged from the classics to experimental and included many challenging roles.  Thus she acted in plays like ''[[The Lady’s Not for Burning]]'' ([[Christopher Fry]]), ''[[The House of Bernarda Alba]]'' ([[Federico Garcia Lorca]]) and ''[[Mourning Becomes Electra]]'' ([[Eugene O’Neill]]), but also in ''[[The Maids]]'' ([[Jean Genet]]), ''[[The Shrew]]'' ([[Charles Marowitz]]) and the world premiere of [[Athol Fugard]]’s ''[[Hello and Goodbye]]'', opposite Fugard himself.
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She was married to Monty Sklaar, who was a pharmacist and later became a city councillor, representing the Langlaagte-Mayfair constituency.  In 1975 he became the deputy mayor of Johannesburg and the following year the mayor.  By all accounts Molly was an unconventional mayoress, keen to break down existing class and racial barriers.  At that stage Monty Sklaar was a member of the United Party, but after he stepped down as mayor, both he and Molly joined the liberal Progressive Party.  In 1978 he won the constituency of Highlands North for the Progressive Party.  In 1981 he contested the parliamentary seat of Westdene against the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pik Botha, while Molly stood for the provincial council seat.  Neither of them won, but Molly kept campaigning for the abolishment of apartheid in the theatre and was an active member of the Black Sash.  Her husband died in 1996 and the couple had two daughters.  Prof. Harry Seftel, the popular “radio doctor”, is her brother.
  
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=== Youth ===
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== Credits ==
  
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'''Theatre'''
  
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1949 – ''[[Thérèse]]'' (Producer: [[Sheila Houston]] for The [[Playmakers]]), 1950 – ''[[Night]]'' (Produced by The [[Dramateers]]), 1950 – ''[[Power Without Glory]]'' (Producer: [[Taubie Kushlick]] for [[East Rand Theatre Club]]), 1950 – ''[[The Wind and the Rain]]'' (Producers: [[Taubie Kushlick]] and [[Margery Weston]] for [[Medical School Players]], [[University of the Witwatersrand]]), ''[[The Women]]'' (Producer: [[Taubie Kushlick]]), 1951 – ''[[The Lady’s Not for Burning]]'' ([[Margaret Inglis]] for [[University Players]]), 1951 – ''[[Bonaventure]]'' (Producer: [[Anna Romain Hoffman]] for [[East Rand Theatre Club]]), 1952 – ''[[Samson and Delilah]]'' ([[Reps Theatre]]), 1952 – ''[[The House of Bernarda Alba]]'' (Producer: [[Leonard Schach]]), ''[[The Princess and the Swineherd]]'' (Producer: [[Margaret Inglis]] for [[The Children’s Theatre]]), 1952 – ''[[The Barretts of Wimpole Street]]'' (Producer: [[Elizabeth Renfield]]), 1953 – ''[[Governor of the Black Rock]]'' (Producer: [[Leon Gluckman]] for [[East Rand Theatre Club]]), 1953 – ''[[Liliom]]'' (Producer: [[Cecil Williams]] for [[Regent Players]]), 1953 – ''[[The Anniversary]]'' (Producer: [[Leonard Schach]] for [[National Theatre Organisation]]), 1956 – ''[[Mango Leaf Magic]]'' (Producer: [[John McKelvey]] for [[The Children’s Theatre]]), 1957 – ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' (Producer: [[Cecil Williams]] for [[Open Air Theatre]]), 1959 – ''[[Four O’clock Noon]]'' (Producer: [[George Canes]] for [[Theatre Guild]]), 1959 – ''[[The Crucible]]'' (Producer: [[Leonard Schach]] for [[University Players]]), 1959 – ''[[Under Milk Wood]]'' (Producer: [[Hugh Goldie]] for [[Reps Theatre]]), 1959 – ''[[The Lower Depths]]'' (Producer: [[Ricky Arden]] for [[Reps Theatre]]), 1961 – ''[[A Macbeth]]'' (Producer: [[Ricky Arden]] for [[Regis Players]]), 1961 – ''[[Dark of the Moon]]'' (Producer: [[George Canes]] for [[Kadimah Players]]), 1962 – ''[[Little Orphan Nell]]'', 1962 – ''[[The Mousetrap]]'' (Producer: [[Simon Swindell]] at [[Alexander Theatre]]), 1963 – ''[[Policy for Murder]]'' (Producer: [[John Hayter]] at [[Alexander Theatre]]), 1964 – ''[[A Midsummer Night’s Dream]]'' (Producers: [[Joan Brickhill]] & [[Louis Burke]] at [[Alexander Theatre]]), 1964 – ''[[The Maids]]'' (Producer: [[Barney Simon]] for [[Phoenix Players]]), 1965 – ''[[Hello and Goodbye]]'' (Producer: [[Barney Simon]] for [[Phoenix Players]]), 1966 – [[Jonah at Nineveh]] (Producer: [[Charles Stodel]]), 1967 – ''[[Mourning Becomes Electra]]'' (Producer: [[Walter Czaschke]] for [[PACT]]), 1969 – ''[[Hadrian VII]]'' (Producer: [[Robert Mohr]] for [[PACT]]), 1969 – ''[[King Lear]]'' (Producer: [[Robert Mohr]] for PACT), 1972 – ''[[The Maids]]'' (Produced: [[Barney Simon]]), 1975/1976/1980 – ''[[The Shrew]]'' (Producer: [[Dawn Lindberg]]), 1978 – ''[[Golda]]'' (Producer: [[Leonard Schach]] at [[Alexander Theatre]]), 1980 - ''[[Zeyda, or The Pedlar’s Progress]]'' (Producer: [[Norman Coombes]] at [[Market Theatre]]), 1983 – ''[[The Wound]]'' (Producer: [[Cedric Sundström]] at [[Wits University Theatre]]), 1984 – ''[[Letters from Uncle Barney]]'' (Producer: [[Norman Coombes]] at [[Market Theatre]]), 1989 – ''[[Camelot]]'' (Producer: [[Francois Swart]] for [[PACT]]), 1994 – ''[[Take the Floor]]'' (Producer: [[Lara Foot]] at [[Market Theatre]]), 2001 – ''[[Her Story]]'' (Producer: [[John Caviggia]] at [[Artscape]]).
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'''Films'''
  
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=== Training ===
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1970 – ''[[Scotty Smith]]'' / ''Scotty & Co.'' (Director: [[Peter Henkel]]), 1978 – ''[[Dr. Marius Hugo]]'' (Director: [[Tim Spring]]), 1978 – ''[[Billy Boy]]'' (Director: [[Tim Spring]]), 1986 – ''[[Hostage]]'' (Director: [[Hanro Möhr]]), 1998 – ''[[Inside Out]]'' (Director: [[Neal Sundström]]).
  
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'''Television'''
  
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1976 – ''[[Delusions]]'' (TV play) (Director: [[Gray Hofmeyr]]), 1978 – ''[[Opdrag]]'' (TV series) (Director: [[Bertrand Retief]]), 1978 – ''[[Sebastiaan Senior]]'' (TV series – single episode) (Director: [[Manie van Rensburg]]), 1978 – ''[[Salomé]]'' (TV play) (Director: [[William C. Faure]]), 1980 – ''[[It’s on Broadway]]'' (TV show) (Producer: [[Ken Kirsten]]), 1980 – ''[[Right You Are – If You Think So!]]'' (TV 3-part drama) (Director: [[Ken Leach]]), 1983 – ''[[House of Mankowitz]]'' (TV series) (Directors: [[Hans Kühle]] & [[Nikolas Simmonds]]), 1991 - ''[[The Big Time]]'' (TV series) (Director: [[Gray Hofmeyr]]).
  
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=== Career ===
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== Awards ==
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A member of what [[Loren Kruger]] calls “the Jewish bohemia associated with Sophiatown”, she began her career as an amateur working for the [[East Rand Theatre Club]].  Started out at the [[East Rand Theatre Club]]. Later worked for the [[Johannesburg REPS]]  (in ''[[The House of Bernarda Alba]]'', 1952), the [[Phoenix Players]] (playing “Hester” opposite the author in [[Fugard]]’s ''[[Hello and Goodbye]]'' in 1965) and **.
 
  
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==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
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1976 DALRO Award for best actress in English for the role of Kate in The Shrew  
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Other roles in ''[[The Maids]]'' (a touring production by [[The Company]]?* **, 1975/6?*) SEFTEL,  Starred in ''[[The Lady’s Not For Burning]]'' by [[Christopher Fry]] which was staged by the [[University Players]] in 1951. Also starring [[Margaret Inglis]] and [[Philip Birkinshaw]]. Starred in [[Lorca]]’s Spanish drama ''[[The House of Bernarda Alba]]'' for the [[Reps]] in September 1952. It was directed by [[Leonard Schach]] and the cast included [[Muriel Alexander]] and [[Mary Mitchell]]. She starred in Ferenc Molnar’s ''[[Liliom]]'' opposite [[Leon Gluckman]] in May 1953. It was directed by [[Cecil Williams]]. She starred in [[Ian Bernhardt]]’s production of [[Athol Fugard]]’s ''[[Hello and Goodbye]]'', together with [[Fugard]], at the [[Library]] in 1965. She starred in [[Jean Genet]]’s ''[[The Maids]]'' with [[Barbara Itzler]] and [[Maya Obel]]. [[Barney Simon]] directed this play for [[PACT]] at the [[Arena]] around 1971. She starred in [[Charles Marowitz]]’s ''[[A Macbeth]]'' which was staged at the [[Alexander]] in 1973. It also starred [[Siegfried Mynhardt]], [[Billy Matthews]] and [[Ken Leach]]. Together with [[McCorkindale]] she starred in [[Charles Marowitz]]’s ''[[The Shrew]]'', directed by [[Dawn Lindberg]] at the [[Chelsea Theatre]] in 1975. She won best actress for her portrayal of Kate at the 1976 [[DALRO Awards]]. She was also mayoress of Johannesburg at this stage. She starred in [[Henry Rootenberg]]’s ''[[Zeyda]]'' together with [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] and [[Frantz Dobrowsky]] at the [[Laager]] and the [[Alexander]] in 1981. She starred in [[Susan Pam-Grant]] and [[D.J. Grant]]’s ''[[Take the Floor]]'' at the [[Laager]] in 1994.
 
  
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Also performed in The Maids and as “Lady Macbeth” in A Macbeth. (SACD 1973)
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Gallery Club Award winner in 1966 for Hello and Goodbye, and in 1976 for The Shrew.
  
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== Sources ==
  
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== Awards, etc ==
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Rand Daily Mail (various issues)
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1976 DALRO Award best actress in English for Kate in The Shrew (Tucker 315)
 
  
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Gallery Club Award winner in 1966 for Hello and Goodbye, and in 1976 for The Shrew.
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Sunday Times (various issues)
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[[SACD]] 1973.
  
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Tucker, Percy - Just the ticket!: my 50 years in show business (1997)
  
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Various entries in the [[NELM]] catalogue
  
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== Sources ==
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https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781734/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
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[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.
 
  
 
== Return to ==
 
== Return to ==

Latest revision as of 09:05, 25 August 2023

Molly Seftel (b. 07/10/1930 - d. 05/01/2020) was an actress.

Biography

Molly Seftel was born in Johannesburg to Louis Seftel and his wife, Mary Rafel. At one stage her father and later her mother ran a fresh produce stall at the Indian Fruit Market on the site where, many years later, their daughter would appear on the stage of the Market Theatre. Molly attended the Jeppe High School for Girls. Some of her first stage appearances were for the Dramateers, the East Rand Theatre Club and the University Players. Between 1954 and 1956 she was in England, but after her return she made regular appearances on the Johannesburg stage and elsewhere. A striking-looking woman, her work ranged from the classics to experimental and included many challenging roles. Thus she acted in plays like The Lady’s Not for Burning (Christopher Fry), The House of Bernarda Alba (Federico Garcia Lorca) and Mourning Becomes Electra (Eugene O’Neill), but also in The Maids (Jean Genet), The Shrew (Charles Marowitz) and the world premiere of Athol Fugard’s Hello and Goodbye, opposite Fugard himself.

She was married to Monty Sklaar, who was a pharmacist and later became a city councillor, representing the Langlaagte-Mayfair constituency. In 1975 he became the deputy mayor of Johannesburg and the following year the mayor. By all accounts Molly was an unconventional mayoress, keen to break down existing class and racial barriers. At that stage Monty Sklaar was a member of the United Party, but after he stepped down as mayor, both he and Molly joined the liberal Progressive Party. In 1978 he won the constituency of Highlands North for the Progressive Party. In 1981 he contested the parliamentary seat of Westdene against the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pik Botha, while Molly stood for the provincial council seat. Neither of them won, but Molly kept campaigning for the abolishment of apartheid in the theatre and was an active member of the Black Sash. Her husband died in 1996 and the couple had two daughters. Prof. Harry Seftel, the popular “radio doctor”, is her brother.

Credits

Theatre

1949 – Thérèse (Producer: Sheila Houston for The Playmakers), 1950 – Night (Produced by The Dramateers), 1950 – Power Without Glory (Producer: Taubie Kushlick for East Rand Theatre Club), 1950 – The Wind and the Rain (Producers: Taubie Kushlick and Margery Weston for Medical School Players, University of the Witwatersrand), The Women (Producer: Taubie Kushlick), 1951 – The Lady’s Not for Burning (Margaret Inglis for University Players), 1951 – Bonaventure (Producer: Anna Romain Hoffman for East Rand Theatre Club), 1952 – Samson and Delilah (Reps Theatre), 1952 – The House of Bernarda Alba (Producer: Leonard Schach), The Princess and the Swineherd (Producer: Margaret Inglis for The Children’s Theatre), 1952 – The Barretts of Wimpole Street (Producer: Elizabeth Renfield), 1953 – Governor of the Black Rock (Producer: Leon Gluckman for East Rand Theatre Club), 1953 – Liliom (Producer: Cecil Williams for Regent Players), 1953 – The Anniversary (Producer: Leonard Schach for National Theatre Organisation), 1956 – Mango Leaf Magic (Producer: John McKelvey for The Children’s Theatre), 1957 – The Merchant of Venice (Producer: Cecil Williams for Open Air Theatre), 1959 – Four O’clock Noon (Producer: George Canes for Theatre Guild), 1959 – The Crucible (Producer: Leonard Schach for University Players), 1959 – Under Milk Wood (Producer: Hugh Goldie for Reps Theatre), 1959 – The Lower Depths (Producer: Ricky Arden for Reps Theatre), 1961 – A Macbeth (Producer: Ricky Arden for Regis Players), 1961 – Dark of the Moon (Producer: George Canes for Kadimah Players), 1962 – Little Orphan Nell, 1962 – The Mousetrap (Producer: Simon Swindell at Alexander Theatre), 1963 – Policy for Murder (Producer: John Hayter at Alexander Theatre), 1964 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Producers: Joan Brickhill & Louis Burke at Alexander Theatre), 1964 – The Maids (Producer: Barney Simon for Phoenix Players), 1965 – Hello and Goodbye (Producer: Barney Simon for Phoenix Players), 1966 – Jonah at Nineveh (Producer: Charles Stodel), 1967 – Mourning Becomes Electra (Producer: Walter Czaschke for PACT), 1969 – Hadrian VII (Producer: Robert Mohr for PACT), 1969 – King Lear (Producer: Robert Mohr for PACT), 1972 – The Maids (Produced: Barney Simon), 1975/1976/1980 – The Shrew (Producer: Dawn Lindberg), 1978 – Golda (Producer: Leonard Schach at Alexander Theatre), 1980 - Zeyda, or The Pedlar’s Progress (Producer: Norman Coombes at Market Theatre), 1983 – The Wound (Producer: Cedric Sundström at Wits University Theatre), 1984 – Letters from Uncle Barney (Producer: Norman Coombes at Market Theatre), 1989 – Camelot (Producer: Francois Swart for PACT), 1994 – Take the Floor (Producer: Lara Foot at Market Theatre), 2001 – Her Story (Producer: John Caviggia at Artscape).

Films

1970 – Scotty Smith / Scotty & Co. (Director: Peter Henkel), 1978 – Dr. Marius Hugo (Director: Tim Spring), 1978 – Billy Boy (Director: Tim Spring), 1986 – Hostage (Director: Hanro Möhr), 1998 – Inside Out (Director: Neal Sundström).

Television

1976 – Delusions (TV play) (Director: Gray Hofmeyr), 1978 – Opdrag (TV series) (Director: Bertrand Retief), 1978 – Sebastiaan Senior (TV series – single episode) (Director: Manie van Rensburg), 1978 – Salomé (TV play) (Director: William C. Faure), 1980 – It’s on Broadway (TV show) (Producer: Ken Kirsten), 1980 – Right You Are – If You Think So! (TV 3-part drama) (Director: Ken Leach), 1983 – House of Mankowitz (TV series) (Directors: Hans Kühle & Nikolas Simmonds), 1991 - The Big Time (TV series) (Director: Gray Hofmeyr).

Awards

1976 DALRO Award for best actress in English for the role of Kate in The Shrew

Gallery Club Award winner in 1966 for Hello and Goodbye, and in 1976 for The Shrew.

Sources

Rand Daily Mail (various issues)

Sunday Times (various issues)

SACD 1973.

Tucker, Percy - Just the ticket!: my 50 years in show business (1997)

Various entries in the NELM catalogue

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0781734/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

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