Denise Newman

Denise Newman (19**-). Actress for stage, film and television, stage manager, drama facilitator and drama teacher.

Biography

Denise was born in Cape Town. After finishing high school she spent a year as an exchange student in Maine, USA where she took courses in Drama and Film Studies. Later she earned X 4 credits towards a BA Social Science degree through UNISA, spent 12 weeks studying Method Acting at New Africa Theatre Project in Cape Town under Alexander von Raumondt (who trained at the Lee Strasburg School in LA).

Career

She began her theatre career in 1979, working as actress and assistant stage manager for the Space Theatre, acting in All on Her Own, In Two Minds, The Guise and was stage manager for The Disguise of the Ashes that arose out of the Karnaval at Scarborough to prove that Leonardo was Right – an investigation of guilt and The Guise as well as assistant stage manager for Glasshouse.

Since then she has been a freelance actress.

In the 1990s she became involved in ACTS (African Community Theatre Service) and does voice and acting coaching.

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

King Lear & Hamlet? She has appeared on stage in productions of The Guise (1979), In Two Minds (1979), The Disguise of the Ashes that arose out of the Karnaval at Scarborough to prove that Leonardo was Right - an investigation of guilt (Space Theatre 1979), Peepshow (1980), Hell is for Whites Only (aka ’’Beyond All Reason’’) (Market Theatre 1982), Violations (1986), One Bird after Another (1986), Buckingham Palace, District Six (1989 and 2000-2001), Whose Life is it Anyway? (early 1990s), Juno and the Paycock (1990), The Woolgatherer (1992), Bessie Head’s Maru (1994), Kinkels innie Kabel (CAPAB 1995), The Trick is to Keep Breathing (NAF 1997), Oscar in Afrika (as Sandra, Aardklop 1999), Severance (1999), Goodbye Kiss (London, 2000), Romeo and Juliet (Maynardville 2000), Sorrows and Rejoicings (as Marta, 2001/2), Jocasta Rising (2004), Kanna hy kô Hystoe (2003-4), Die Van Aardes van Grootoor (2004), Hear and Now (2005-2006), Echoes (2006), IVirgin Boy (2007), Sister Breyani (2007, 2009), Daar Leef Mense Daar (Suidoosterfees 2008), Die Sendeling (2011), What Remains (2017).

In 2015 she performed Cold Case: Revisiting Dulcie September, which is about the life of ANC activist Dulcie September who was assassinated in 1988.

ACTS production of Red George, staged at the National Arts Festival, directed by Denise Newman. NELM Location: Poster collection [Collection: KRUMMECK, Peter]: 2017. 198. 1. 20.

Film & TV roles include the film City Lovers (directed by Barney Simon, 1982 [1]), Onder Engele (****, 199*), Tussen Duiwels (***, 199**), The Sexy Girls (MNET, 199*), Two Weeks in Paradise (SABC, ***) and Meeulanders (SABC, 199*), Erfsondes, Onder Engele, Tussen Duiwels, Meeulanders, Two weeks in Paradise, People like Us, Hotnotsgode, as well as being asked to play a guest role in the daily soap, 7de Laan. She appeared in the 2013 film Zulu.

Films include the internationally acclaimed Sara, Sara (an Italian film), Forgiveness, City Lovers and Sexy Girls. Over the years she has been nominated several times, has even won a few but is more concerned about her role as teacher/facilitator when time allows.

Sources

http://www.actcapetown.co.za/ptcoaches26.htm

Astbury 1979.

Vrye Weekblad, 3-9 July 1992.

Cape Times, 10 July 2015.

South African Movie Database [www.samdb.co.za/biography/248].

IMDb [2].

TVSA [3].

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