Difference between revisions of "Putsonderwater"
| Line 17: | Line 17: | ||
1969: A production by [[Johan Mocke]] opened on 27 February at the [[Port Elizabeth Opera House]], | 1969: A production by [[Johan Mocke]] opened on 27 February at the [[Port Elizabeth Opera House]], | ||
| − | 1969: The [[PACOFS]] experimental theatre group staged a brief and little publicised workshop production for an invited audience in the [[Ou Presidensie Teater]] (“Old Presidency Theatre”) in Bloemfontein, directed by [[Henk Hugo]], with a cast including [[Neels Coetzee]], [[George Barnes]] and [[Rina la Grange]]. This was the first professional production of ''Putsonderwater''. | + | 1969: The [[PACOFS]] experimental theatre group staged a brief and little publicised workshop production for an invited audience in the [[Ou Presidensie Teater]] (“Old Presidency Theatre”) in Bloemfontein, directed by [[Henk Hugo]], with a cast including [[Neels Coetzee]], [[George Barnes]] and [[Rina la Grange]]. This was the first professional production of ''[[Putsonderwater]]''. |
| − | 1970: The playwright was invited by [[CAPAB]] to direct a production of ''Putsonderwater'' in Cape Town. A few days before rehearsals were scheduled to start the production was cancelled by the Administrator of the Cape Province, in his capacity as chairman of the board of [[CAPAB]]. | + | 1970: The playwright was invited by [[CAPAB]] to direct a production of ''[[Putsonderwater]]'' in Cape Town. A few days before rehearsals were scheduled to start the production was cancelled by the Administrator of the Cape Province, in his capacity as chairman of the board of [[CAPAB]]. |
| − | 1971: ''The Virgin and the Vultures'', the English translation by [[Anthony Dawes|Dawes]] was staged by the amateur dramatic society of the Johannesburg College of Education under the direction of [[Joey de Koker]]. | + | 1971: ''[[The Virgin and the Vultures]]'', the English translation by [[Anthony Dawes|Dawes]] was staged by the amateur dramatic society of the [[Johannesburg College of Education]] under the direction of [[Joey de Koker]]. |
| − | 1981: Twenty years after it was written the first fully professional public production in South Africa was done during the opening season of the [[State Theatre]] in Pretoria. It was staged by [[PACT]] in the [[State Theatre]] | + | 1981: Twenty years after it was written the first fully professional public production in South Africa was done during the opening season of the [[State Theatre]] in Pretoria. It was staged by [[PACT]] in the [[State Theatre Arena]] and directed by [[Louis van Niekerk]], with [[Iza Trengove]] (Maria), [[Sam Marais]] (Asgat), [[Dan Welman]] (Jan Alleman), [[Don Lamprecht]] (Dominee), [[Louw Verwey]] (Sersant), [[Franz Marx]] (Dokter) and [[Jacques Loots]] (Koster). Decor by [[Johan Badenhorst]] and costumes by [[Bronwen Lovegrove]] and [[Paddy Norval]]. |
1993: A [[University of Cape Town]] production presented at the [[Little Theatre]] from 1 to 4 September was directed by [[Sandra Temmingh]]. | 1993: A [[University of Cape Town]] production presented at the [[Little Theatre]] from 1 to 4 September was directed by [[Sandra Temmingh]]. | ||
Revision as of 16:13, 30 January 2020
Putsonderwater ("Well-without-Water") is a 1961 play by Bartho Smit. Published by Afrikaanse Pers-boekhandel in 1962.
Contents
Subject
Set in a small South African village, the characters are representatives of religious, secular and political power, and the playwright’s exploration of their relationship with the young virgin, constitutes a virulent attack on social hypocrisy.
The original text
While living in Paris in 1954 Bartho Smit had a friend, a beautiful, unmarried, young girl who fell pregnant and, not being able to face the shame, drowned herself in the Seine. This incident, together with the strong impression made on Smit by the novella Sous le soleil de Satan ("Under the Sun of Satan") by French author Georges Bernanos [1], was the inspiration for writing the play Putsonderwater.
Translations and adaptations
Translated into English by Antony Dawes under the title Well-Without-Water, or The Virgin and the Vultures.
Performance history in South Africa
In 1961 Putsonderwater was submitted as possible opening piece for the newly built Johannesburg Civic Theatre, but was rejected because somebody had noted that the father of the young white girl's illegitimate child was a young "Coloured" man. Denied performance in South Africa for many years, it was first performed to acclaim by Volksteater Vertikaal in Ghent in 1968 and toured Belgium for a year.
1969: Directed at Rhodes University in by Abraham de Vries, with Nelia Dryer, Hugh Forsyth, Wilfred Jonckheer, John Badenhorst, Tom Cloete, Noël Roos, Bill Sieberhagen in the cast.
1969: A production by Johan Mocke opened on 27 February at the Port Elizabeth Opera House,
1969: The PACOFS experimental theatre group staged a brief and little publicised workshop production for an invited audience in the Ou Presidensie Teater (“Old Presidency Theatre”) in Bloemfontein, directed by Henk Hugo, with a cast including Neels Coetzee, George Barnes and Rina la Grange. This was the first professional production of Putsonderwater.
1970: The playwright was invited by CAPAB to direct a production of Putsonderwater in Cape Town. A few days before rehearsals were scheduled to start the production was cancelled by the Administrator of the Cape Province, in his capacity as chairman of the board of CAPAB.
1971: The Virgin and the Vultures, the English translation by Dawes was staged by the amateur dramatic society of the Johannesburg College of Education under the direction of Joey de Koker.
1981: Twenty years after it was written the first fully professional public production in South Africa was done during the opening season of the State Theatre in Pretoria. It was staged by PACT in the State Theatre Arena and directed by Louis van Niekerk, with Iza Trengove (Maria), Sam Marais (Asgat), Dan Welman (Jan Alleman), Don Lamprecht (Dominee), Louw Verwey (Sersant), Franz Marx (Dokter) and Jacques Loots (Koster). Decor by Johan Badenhorst and costumes by Bronwen Lovegrove and Paddy Norval.
1993: A University of Cape Town production presented at the Little Theatre from 1 to 4 September was directed by Sandra Temmingh.
Sources
Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research. p 447.
Teater SA, 1(2), 1968.
Theare programme held by NELM (Rhodes production 1969): [Collection: Rhodes University. Drama Department]: 2011. 370. 2. 10.
PACT theatre programme, 1981.
PACT pamphlet, July 1981
Go to ESAT Bibliography
Return to
Return to PLAYS I: Original SA plays
Return to PLAYS II: Foreign plays
Return to PLAYS III: Collections
Return to PLAYS IV: Pageants and public performances
Return to South African Festivals and Competitions
Return to The ESAT Entries
Return to Main Page
