Kunst en Smaak

Kunst en Smaak ("Art and Taste")was a young people's dramatic society in Cape Town (1835-6)

The company

Founded in the Cape Town by J.W. Lotz round about 1835. During its brief existence it was incredibly prolific, creating new productions about once a month, in addition to numerous repeat performances. They usually performed in a venue designated simply De Liefhebbery Toneel (i.e. "The Amateur Theatre"). The whole Lotz family appear to have been involved, and among its key players were J. Langerman and J. Stegmann.

As was the case with Tot Oefening en Smaak ten years earlier, the involvement of children with the theatre was not uncontroversial, and by early 1836 the society had already disbanded.

See also Children's theatre in South Africa

Productions

Some productions in the period included De Kluizenaar op Formentera and De Twee Jagers en het Melkmeisje (1835); De Schaking uit het Serail and 't Zal laat Worden; Claudine and De Hoefsmid (1 August, 1835); 12 September 1835); Incle en Yariko and De Dronkaard (24 October, 1835); Aballino Junior, of De Kleine Bandiet and Monsieur Tonson (21 November 1835 - in "het Stads Schouwburg" (i.e. the "Civic Theatre"); and De Struikroovers van Kalabrien, of De Onveilige Wildernis (Tréogate) (10 June 1836).

[JH/TH]

Sources

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: pp. 178, 248, 270-274, 359, 363, 373, 384.

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