Call Me Woman

Call Me Woman was a 1979 theatre piece workshopped by Barney Simon with the cast and the musicians in the first production. It is in the form of a series of sketches which depict the lives of a selection of South Africa women in the 1970's.

The original text

The idea for the show was partly inspired by the 1976 theatre piece for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf [1] written by self-proclaimed black feminist American playwright and poet Ntozake Shange (1948- ) [2].

Performance history in South Africa

First performed at The Space (Cape Town)/ Market Theatre in 1979. (???)

1979: Staged in the Market Theatre, Johannesburg from 22 November, directed by Barney Simon, with Saira Essa, Petunia Maboe, Nomsa Nene, Thoko Ntshinga, Gail Reagon, Natie Rula and Barrie Shah as the Women. The onstage musicians were Timmy Kwebulana and Thabang Masemola (also the Musical Director). The rest of the team included: Michele Maxwell (Vocal Director and Arranger), Sylvia Glasser and Sue Parker (Movement), Vivienne Cartwright (Designer) and Mannie Manim (Lighting Design).

1980: The same production was staged in the Concert Hall at the Baxter Theatre from 3 January.

Sources

Theatre Alive! The Baxter Story 1977-1987

Barrow, Brian & Williams-Short, Yvonne 1988.

Photocopy of playscript held at NELM ([Collection: SIMON, Barney]: 1995. 11. 5. 3. 1)

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