Greg Homann

Greg Homann (19**-) theatre director, actor, academic and occasional writer.

Biography

He has a BA Dramatic Arts degree from Wits University (2003) and an MA (with distinction) in Text and Performance Studies from The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and King’s College London.

Academic career

Lectured at Wits School of Arts in South African theatre, directing, acting, and writing (2005-2012) and in 2012 joined AFDA (Johannesburg) as head of the Writing and Directing programs in the division of Dramatic Arts, where he teaches courses in South African theatre, directing, comedy in performance, representational performance and playwriting. he left in January 2015. On behalf of the Wits School of Arts Homann continued to manage the Tisch (New York University) Study Abroad Program.

He returned to the Wits School of Arts as Head of Theatre and Performance (previously Dramatic Arts) in 2015 on a short-term contract to advance the curriculum realignment and to guide the launch of the new name of the division.

As an academic, his primary area of research is in contemporary South African theatre with an emphasis on post-apartheid plays.

He is the editor of a collection of plays entitled At This Stage: Plays from Post-apartheid South Africa (Wits University Press, 2009).

He co-edited the book The Methuen Drama Guide to Contemporary South African Theatre, with Peter Paul Schnierer and Martin Middeke. (Published by Bloomsbury Publishing, London in 2015). This includes a chapter on "Emerging Playwrights and Significant Plays" by Homann himself.

He co-edited the book New territories : theatre, drama, and performance in Post-apartheid South Africa with Marc Maufort (Bruxelles : P.I.E. Peter Lang, 2015.)

As director

He has been nominated for and won numerous awards for his direction over the years.

In 2002, while still a student at Wits University, he directed Sauer Street, which was nominated for a Naledi Award for Best Musical of the Year. This was followed by The Talented Mr. Ripley, (co-produced with the Theatre on the Square, 2004), a South African adaptation of Lord of the Flies (Market Theatre, Chatter, Brothers in Blood (The Market Theatre – 2009; Artscape – 2012), Pterodactyls, Tomfoolery (The Old Mutual Theatre on the Square) (2010), a five man version of The Pirates of Penzance, Delirium (Market Theatre, 2012) Also created Imagine ( Joburg Theatre)for illusionist Ilan Smith.

For Wits University he directed A Clockwork Orange, The Crucible, Translations, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Saturday Night at the Palace and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In May his production of the musical revue, Forbidden Broadway, was presented with students from the University of Johannesburg (UJ).

As a writer/director

In 2009 wrote and directed Previously Owned, which premiered to sold-out-houses at the Setkani/Encounter Festival in Brno (Czech Republic) and was followed by a short season at the Wits Downstairs Theatre and a tour to Grahamstown.

In 2012 co-wrote One-Woman Farce, in collaboration with actress Louise Saint-Claire, whom he directed in the work, winning a Standard Bank Encore Ovation Award.

As actor.

Roles for Pieter Toerien in Around the World in 80 Days ( playing eighteen different characters, and nominated for Best Break-through Performance) and It’s a Dad Thing ( Montecasino Theatre and the Theatre on the Bay, 2007). He also works as a voiceover artist.