A.S. van Straten

A.S. van Straten (1937-1997) was a South African academic, copy writer, publisher and playwright. Generally known as Ampie van Straten or As van Straten.

Biography

Born Abraham S. van Straten in Maclear in the Cape Province , but his parents moved to Pretoria when he was a child.

He later married Cecily Luck, who would also become a writer under the name Cecily van Straaten. They had three sons: Abrie, Piet and Chris.

Died of cancer in 1997.

Education

He went to the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool ("Afrikaans High Boys School"), where he became known as Ampie van Straten. This was followed by a B.A and teachers' diploma from the University of Pretoria.

Career

His first job was as an Afrikaans language teacher at the Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool for 15 months, then a assistant secretary and editor of Die Taalgenoot at the ATKV, before he joined the well-known VZ advertising agency. After this he moved to the Johannesburg College of Education as a trainer of language teachers. On 1 January 1982 he joined Human and Rousseau as a publisher in their Johannesburg office. In 1986 he moved to Cape Town as Fiction editor for the company, and in 1990 moved back to their office in Pretoria. He remained there till 10 April 1996.

He toyed with poetry and wrote two novels, namely Daar's ’n gaatjie in die middel van die see. ("There's a little hole in the middle of the sea") in 1966, and Die wenner ("The winner") in 1978.

Contribution to South African Theatre, Film Media and Performance

In 1975 he made his debut as playwright with the enormously successful and entertaining radio drama about language and the advertising industry, Pendoring (Edms) Beperk (lit. "Spike Thorn (Prop) Ltd"), a work which not only won the SABC's GRA-hoorspelwedstryd ("GRA radio drama competition") but also received the SAUK-prys ("SABC award") for radio dramas and radio documentaries, presented by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. The play soon became a very popular stage text as well, and has been performed and broadcast numerous times by professionals and by amateurs.

It was followed by two sequels, Pendoring & Kie (lit. "Spike Thorn & Co") and Pendoring & Seun (lit. "Spike Thorn & Son" - 1995), for which he received a honorary pennant from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns in 1995.

In 1983 Die Potlooddief en die Engel ("The Pencil Thief and the Angel" ) made its debut at the first Kampustoneel festival, the ATKV's playwriting initiative. He had written it at the request of the University of Pretoria, which did the first production, directed by Louw Odendaal, followed by a professional production by PACT in 1985.

His last play, Die Aand van die Fynproewer ("The evening of the connoisseur"), was performed in the State Theatre, Pretoria in February 1992, directed by Francois Swart.

Awards and recognition

In 1995 the award for outstanding work in Afrikaans publicity was named the Pendoring-toekenning ("Pendoring award") after his popular trilogy, in recognition of the creative role Van Straten had played in the publicity sector.