Cisca Marais

(b. 04/11/1916 – d. 26/06/1995). Actress. When Francisca Kriel married J.F. (Jacobus Francois) Marais, she became Cisca Marais and under that name she acted in a number of films. Her husband and Thomas Blok directed Donker Spore (1944), an early Afrikaans film, and she played the part of Elsie. She also wrote the story for Carel Trichardt's only film as director, Sononder (1971) and assisted with costumes and props. On the stage she appeared in Vrees, an Afrikaans adaptation of Rodney Ackland's play The Old Ladies, translated by J.F. Marais.

(J.F. Marais was originally a journalist and a member of the right-wing Ossewabrandwag. He became the first station manager of the Afrikaans Service of the SABC and in 1955 was appointed a judge in the Transvaal. He was better known as Kowie Marais and following a political change of heart became a Member of Parliament for the liberal Progressive Party. He and Cisca divorced in 1976.)

CREDITS

FILMS (as actress)

Donker Spore (Thomas Blok & J.F. Marais/1944), Paul Krüger (Werner Grünbauer/1956), Oupa for Sale (Richard Daneel/1968), Die onwettige huwelik (Mario Schiess/1970), Vinkel en Koljander (Roy Sargeant/1973)

PUBLICATIONS

Debuut: eenakters en hoorspele (1966) (compiler with Francois Marais)