Maria Stuart

Mary Stuart (German: Maria Stuart) is a play by Friedrich Schiller that depicts the last days of Mary, Queen of Scots. The play consists of five acts, each divided into several scenes. The play had its première in Weimar, Germany on 14 June 1800. The play formed the basis for Donizetti's opera Maria Stuarda (1834).

Performance history in South Africa

1941: An Afrikaans translation of the play by Ulrich Gerryts was produced by the Performed in the by Ulrich Gerryts Afrikaans translation by Volksteater in Pretoria in 1941, directed by Anna Neethling-Pohl and featuring Berdine Grünewald.

1965: A translation into Afrikaans by Wilhelm Grütter was directed by Jannie Gildenhuys for the re-opening of the Hofmeyr Theatre after renovations on 4 August 1965. Tine Balder played Elizabeth I, with Esther van Ryswyk as Mary Queen of Scots, also starring Nerina Ferreira, Billy Trengove, Ernst Eloff, Laurie van der Merwe, Jannie Gildenhuys, Danie Marais, Limpie Basson, Pieter Bredenkamp, Emile Aucamp and Marie Pentz. Decor and costumes designed by Limpie Basson. Stage management and lighting by Emile Aucamp, assisted by Martin Crous.

1972: Performed in Afrikaans by PACT, directed by Truida Louw. It first opened on 9 March at the Alexander Theatre in Johannesburg, before moving to the Breytenbach Theatre in Pretoria. The cast consisted of: George Ballot, Louis van Niekerk, Anna Neethling-Pohl, Jan Bruijns, Karen van Wyk, Jud Cornell, Adriaan van Niekerk, Don Lamprecht, Gerben Kamper, Dawid van der Merwe, Pieter Strydom, Wilna Snyman, Sandra Prinsloo, Marius Weyers. Decor designed by Richard Cook, costumes by Neels Hansen.

2005: A non-traditional student production of an expanded version of Karel Schoeman's Afrikaans text was done by the visiting German director Bernard Wolf at the HB Thom Theatre , in celebration of the Schiller Year. Mary Stuart first produced in South Africa by * Other English productions by **, PACT, (dir Francois Swart, 1987), **.

Translations and adaptations

There have to date been three Afrikaans translations of the text:

The first was by Ulrich Gerryts (produced 1941), by Wilhelm Grütter (produced 1965) and the third by Karel Schoeman (published 1973, performed 2005)

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Stuart_(play)

Maria Stuart theatre programme (KRUIK 1965).

PACT Newsletter, March 1972.

Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research. p 65.

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