Vrystaatse Toneelskool
Originally called Die Vrystaatse Toneelskool ("The Free State Theatre School"), it was eventually also known by many other names, including simply "Die Toneelskool", die Toneelskool van die Hanekoms and Die Hanekoms se Toneelskool.
The school was set up in Bloemfontein by Hendrik Hanekom and Mathilde Hanekom in September 1934 when Mathilde’s health became a concern and their daughter needed to go to school. It lasted a little more than 3 years and was basically a theatrical society which put on 15 plays between 1934 and 1937, utilizing a number of local amateurs who went on to become important figures in amateur and professional theatre.
Among them Kitty Maasdorp, Fred van Rooyen and J.J. van Rensburg. The first production by the school turned out to be one of the great success stories of the Afrikaans theatre: Hanekom's protrayal of President Paul Kruger in D.C. Postma's historical and symbolic drama Oom Paul ("Uncle Paul"). (Hanekom later toured with a professional company, playing Oom Paul to a wider audience.) He also did dramatised versions of novels by D.F. Malherbe (Amrach die Tollenaar and Hans die Skipper),
Sources
Binge, 1969; Hanekom, 19**
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