Jan Schutte
Jan Schutte (1920-1999). Author, actor on radio, stage and film, radio dramatist, stage and film-director and producer, director-general of the SABC.
Contents
Biography
He was born in Senekal in the Free State, South Africa, on 7 February 1920. He died on 10 January 1999 at the age of 79.
Training
He had an M.A. in Art History from the University of Pretoria.
In the early 1950s he completed a doctorate on the Radio Drama in South Africa at the University of the Free State.
Career
Became a radio actor with the SABC, capitalizing on his wonderfully rich and expressive voice. He also wrote and produced numerous Afrikaans radio plays and series, including the hugely popular Die Du Plooys van Soetmelksvlei.
He led the Schutte Commission, an inquiry into the Performing Arts, published in 1977.
He retired in 1981.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
As a stage actor he began with Volksteater, acting in Die Vroue van Troje, which he also co-directed with Anna Neethling-Pohl in September 1945. He also acted in another production staged at the Volksteater in the same year, In 'n Skewe Straatjie.
He played Horatio in a landmark production in Afrikaans of Hamlet in 1947.
Jan acted in some NTO productions, such as Periandros van Korinthe in the title role in 1956 and 1957. In 1982 he appeared as Pastoor Manders in a PACT production of Spoke.
He translated The Barretts of Wimpole Street into Afrikaans entitled Die Barretts van Wimpolestraat,
As Sarel van die Duine in the feature film Donker Spore released in 1944.
Sources
Du Toit, Petrus Jacobus, 1988.
Tribute written by Jannie Ferreira, Die Burger, 12 January 1999.
Tribute written by Alet Rademeyer, Beeld, 13 January 1999.
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