Difference between revisions of "Dawn Lindberg"

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===As actor===
 
===As actor===
  
Dawn appeared in a number of productions. She had the lead role in ''[[I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road]]'' (1981).
+
Dawn appeared in a number of productions.  
  
===As director===
+
Des and Dawn Lindberg joined [[Robert Kirby]] in his show ''[[8 Birds]]'' at the [[Labia Theatre]] in 1970. They helped convert the [[Carlton Cinema]] in Von Weilligh Street into a small theatre which opened with ''[[Birds of a Feather]]''(a revised version of ''[[8 Birds]]''), also about 1970. 
  
Dawn directed a number of productions, including ''[[Godspell]]'', ''[[Pippin]]'', ''[[The Shrew]]'', ''[[The Black Mikado]]'', ''[[Gloo Joo]]'', ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'', ''[[Lennon]]''.  
+
She had the lead role in ''[[I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road]]'' (1980-1981).
  
===As choreographer===
+
Together with Des, they performed ''[[Sex, Tango and Everything Else]]'' in the [[State Theatre Arena]] (2001).
  
She was contracted in 1965 by [[Taubie Kushlick]], the producer, to do choreography for ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'', her [[Children's Theatre]] production, while [[Des Lindberg]] was to write extra music and lyrics. [[Keith Blundell]] was the musical director, [[Nina Campbell-Quine]] did décor, while [[Heather MacDonald-Rouse]] did costumes. It was staged at the [[Wits Great Hall]] in 1965.
+
===As director===
  
 +
Dawn directed a number of productions, including ''[[Godspell]]'' (1973 and several subsequent productions), ''[[Pippin]]'' (1975), ''[[The Shrew]]'', ''[[The Black Mikado]]'', ''[[Gloo Joo]]'', ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' (1979), ''[[Lennon]]'' (1981).
  
The Lindbergs joined [[Robert Kirby]] in his show ''[[8 Birds]]'' at the [[Labia Theatre]] in 1970.
 
  
They helped convert the [[Carlton Cinema]] in Von Weilligh Street into a small theatre which opened with ''[[Birds of a Feather]]''.
 
  
They staged ''[[Godspell]]'', directed by Dawn at the Maseru Holiday Inn in Lesotho from 30 September 1973 to 17 February 1974. On 30 September 1974 they returned from tour to stage a run at the [[Lake Theatre]] in Parkview.  
+
She directed the [[PACT]] production of ''[[Every Good Boy Deserves Favour]]'' which was a collaboration of Tom Stoppard’s text ''Every Good Boy'' and André Previn’s music starring [[Danny Keogh]], [[Michael McCabe]], [[Michael Richard]] and [[Lynne White]] in 1986. It won the [[Vita Award]] for best production.
  
[[Des Lindberg|Des]] and Dawn Lindberg staged ''[[Pippin]]'' with music and lyrics by [[Stephen Schwartz]] and direction, choreography and design by [[Des Lindberg|Des]] starring [[Hal Watters]], [[Sammy Brown]], [[Jo-Ann Pezzarro]], [[Bess Finney]], [[Taliep Petersen]], [[Sophia Foster]], [[Robin Dolton]] and [[Andre Hattingh]] here in 1975.
+
===As choreographer and designer===
  
The Lindbergs opened their production of the musical ''[[The Black Mikado]]'' at the [[Diepkloof Hall]] in Soweto on 13 May 1976. It went on to play in Coronationville and at the [[Loreto Convent]] in Pretoria, Pietersburg, Pietermaritzburg and Durban’s [[Lyric Theatre]] before opening at the [[Brooke Theatre]] on 29 July. They formed a club called the [[South African Living Theatre]] ([[SALT]]) to get around the governments opposition to their multi-racial company.
+
She was contracted in 1965 by [[Taubie Kushlick]], the producer, to do choreography for ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]'', her [[Children's Theatre]] production, while [[Des Lindberg]] was to write extra music and lyrics. [[Keith Blundell]] was the musical director, [[Nina Campbell-Quine]] did décor, while [[Heather MacDonald-Rouse]] did costumes. It was staged at the [[Wits Great Hall]] in 1965.  
 
 
Together with Des she staged [[Jeremy Taylor]]’s ''[[Back in Town]]'', and ''[[The Importance of Being Irish]]'', directed by [[Nicholas Amer]] with [[Thom Delaney]] at the [[Arena]] in 1979. ''[[Back in Town]]'' went on to play at the [[Alhambra Theatre]].  
 
  
Together with Des she staged ''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]'' starring [[Victor Melleney]], [[Judy Page]] and [[Annabel Linder]] under direction by Dawn at [[His Majesty's Theatre]] in 1979.  
+
She also choreographed and designed their production of ''[[Pippin]]'' in 1975.  
  
Des and Dawn produced ''[[I'm Getting my Act Together and Taking it on the Road]]'' directed by [[Malcolm Purkey]] and starring [[Bruce Millar]] and Dawn at the [[Arena Bistro Theatre]] in 1980.  
+
The Lindberg’s presented ''[[When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout]]'', directed by Dawn at the [[Adcock-Ingram Auditorium]] in July 1987. Together with [[PACT]] the Lindberg’s staged ''[[King Afrika]]'' at the [[Standard Bank Arena]] in 1988.  
  
Des and Dawn presented ''[[Lennon]]'' with Dawn directing this tribute starring [[Bruce Millar]], [[Gay Lambert]], [[Colin Shapiro]] and [[Colin Shamley]] at the [[Arena Bistro]] in 1981.
 
  
The Lindbergs directed a guitar festival called ''[[Guitars from Africa]]'' at the [[Civic Theatre]] in 1981. Together with Des she again directed ''[[Godspell]]'' starring [[Sam Marais]] at the [[Civic Theatre]] for [[PACT]] in May 1986 (1985?). She directed the [[PACT]] production of ''[[Every Good Boy Deserves Favour]]'' which was a collaboration of Tom Stoppard’s text ''Every Good Boy'' and André Previn’s music starring [[Danny Keogh]], [[Michael McCabe]], [[Michael Richard]] and [[Lynne White]] in 1986. It won the [[Vita Award]] for best production. The Lindberg’s presented ''[[When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout]]'', directed by Dawn at the [[Adcock-Ingram Auditorium]] in July 1987. Together with [[PACT]] the Lindberg’s staged ''[[King Afrika]]'' at the [[Standard Bank Arena]] in 1988. In conjunction with the [[Civic Theatre|Civic]] the Lindbergs produced a revival of ''[[Godspell]]'' in 1994.  They also performed ''[[Sex, Tango and Everything Else]]'' in the [[State Theatre Arena]] in 2001 (Written by [[Dawn Lindberg]], Choreography by [[Adéle Blank]] and Musical Direction by [[Dave Polecutt]]).
+
They also performed ''[[Sex, Tango and Everything Else]]'' in the [[State Theatre Arena]] in 2001 (Written by [[Dawn Lindberg]], Choreography by [[Adéle Blank]] and Musical Direction by [[Dave Polecutt]]).
  
 
== Awards, etc, ==
 
== Awards, etc, ==

Revision as of 11:08, 27 May 2025

Dawn Lindberg (1945-2020) was a singer, actress, director and theatre entrepreneur.

Biography

Born Dawn Silver in Durban on 19 April 1945, educated at Parktown Girls High and was an AFS Scholar in Detroit, USA (1963-4), then obtained a BA (Fine Arts) University of the Witwatersrand; Diploma Etching (Urbino, Italy), Stage Design (Salzburg).

Dawn met and married Des Lindberg. They began performing together as Des and Dawn Lindberg. They collaborated on a number of projects, under the banners of Folk on Trek Productions, The Soirée Society and CAT Productions.

For further information on these projects, see the entry Des and Dawn.

For Des Lindberg's biographical and career information, see the individual entry under Des Lindberg.

Besides her own work as producer (she directed and designed most of the corporate and stage productions for CAT Productions), she also held many management positions in the industry at various times, including being secretary and treasurer of the Theatre Managements of South Africa (TMSA) and convenor/Executive Director of the Naledi Awards.

She was at one time President of Soroptimists International (the Highveld branch), produced the Double Gold: "Fat Off" fitness tape, co-authored: How Did I Begin? (a book on the facts of life for kids) and delivered motivational talks on topics such as Every Night is an Opening Night and Unfreeze Your Speaking Assets.

The couple had two sons, Joshua and Adam.

Dawn died of a COVID-19 related illness on Monday 7 December 2020 .

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

As theatre producer

The Lindbergs produced a number of theatre productions.

For further information on these, see Des and Dawn.

As actor

Dawn appeared in a number of productions.

Des and Dawn Lindberg joined Robert Kirby in his show 8 Birds at the Labia Theatre in 1970. They helped convert the Carlton Cinema in Von Weilligh Street into a small theatre which opened with Birds of a Feather(a revised version of 8 Birds), also about 1970.

She had the lead role in I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road (1980-1981).

Together with Des, they performed Sex, Tango and Everything Else in the State Theatre Arena (2001).

As director

Dawn directed a number of productions, including Godspell (1973 and several subsequent productions), Pippin (1975), The Shrew, The Black Mikado, Gloo Joo, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1979), Lennon (1981).


She directed the PACT production of Every Good Boy Deserves Favour which was a collaboration of Tom Stoppard’s text Every Good Boy and André Previn’s music starring Danny Keogh, Michael McCabe, Michael Richard and Lynne White in 1986. It won the Vita Award for best production.

As choreographer and designer

She was contracted in 1965 by Taubie Kushlick, the producer, to do choreography for The Wizard of Oz, her Children's Theatre production, while Des Lindberg was to write extra music and lyrics. Keith Blundell was the musical director, Nina Campbell-Quine did décor, while Heather MacDonald-Rouse did costumes. It was staged at the Wits Great Hall in 1965.

She also choreographed and designed their production of Pippin in 1975.

The Lindberg’s presented When I Was a Girl I Used to Scream and Shout, directed by Dawn at the Adcock-Ingram Auditorium in July 1987. Together with PACT the Lindberg’s staged King Afrika at the Standard Bank Arena in 1988. 


They also performed Sex, Tango and Everything Else in the State Theatre Arena in 2001 (Written by Dawn Lindberg, Choreography by Adéle Blank and Musical Direction by Dave Polecutt).

Awards, etc,

She was presented with the Women: The Real Architects of Society Awards (WRASA) Drama Excellence Award to acknowledge and honour her 51 years in theatre and show business in 2017.

Sources

SACD 1973; 1974; 1975/76; 1977/78; 1979/80; 1981/82.

Pretoria News, 11 April 2001.

Herman Lategan. 2020. Tot einde hartstogtelik oor teater em kunste, Rapport Weekliks, 13 Desember, 2020: p.2.

ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue.

Schwartz, 1988, De Beer, 1995, Joyce, 1999.

www.jozilife.co.za/theatre/dawn-lindberg/

https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/theatre-legend-dawn-lindberg-dies-aged-75/ar-BB1bJcBO?ocid=msedgdhp

https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/naledi-awards-founder-dawn-lindberg-dies-of-covid-19-related-illness/ar-BB1bJimO?ocid=msedgntp

https://ewn.co.za/2020/12/08/naledi-awards-founder-dawn-lindberg-dies-of-covid-19-related-illness

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