I Remember Mama

I Remember Mama is a 1944 play by English playwright and theatre director John van Druten (1901-1957) [1]. Based on the fictionalized memoir Mama's Bank Account by American writer and memoirist Kathryn Forbes (1908-1966) [2], it focuses on the Hanson family, a loving family of Norwegian immigrants living at 115 Steiner Street (identified as Larkin Hill in the 1948 film) in San Francisco in the 1910s.

Produced by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the Broadway production opened on October 19, 1944 at the Music Box Theatre and ran for 713 performances. The cast included Mady Christians, Oscar Homolka, Joan Tetzel and Marlon Brando, making his Broadway debut as Nels.

Translations

Translated into Afrikaans as Ek Onthou vir Mamma ("I Remember Mama") by Fred le Roux in 1948. Published by DALRO, 1969.

Performances in South Africa

In English

In South Africa the play was presented by the Theatre Players, produced by Cyril Chosack, Cathedral Hall, Cape Town, February 1947. With Audrey Pearce, John Becker, Jimmy Gordon, Reg Wilkinson.

In Afrikaans

The Afrikaans translation by Fred le Roux was produced by K.A.T., featuring students of the A.D.K. in June 1948, directed by Ria Olivier.

Performed by NTO in the same Afrikaans translation in 1954, playing for 263 performances. It was directed by Taubie Kushlick and starred Johann Nell, Wena Naudé and Mathilde Hanekom.

Presented by the University of Pretoria Drama Department at Die Masker starring first year students in October 1971 under the direction of Hannes Horne

Staged by PACT in 1983, directed by Louis van Niekerk, featuring Marga van Rooy (Mamma), Nico Liebenberg (Pappa), Elise Hibbert (Katrin), Jocelyn Broderick (Christine), Albert Raphael (Mnr Hyde), Johan Engelbrecht (Nels), Petru Wessels (Tante Trina), Alida Theron (Tante Sigrid), Marie Pentz (Tante Jenny), David van der Merwe (Oom Chris), Schalk Schoombie (Mnr Thorkelson), Rita Ehlers (Die Vrou), Leonard Moss (Dr Johnson), Ilse Swanepoel (Verpleegster), Adri van der Merwe (Verpleegster), Marie Hoogenraad (Mej Moorhead), Hennie Bouwer or Pierre de Villiers (Arne), Magdel-Marie Smith or Riette van Staden (Dagmar) and Arthur Masekwemeng (Kelner). Design by Gloria Lovegrove and lighting by Michael Lovegrove.