Difference between revisions of "Albert Thomas"

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[[Albert Thomas]] (1932?-2006) was a Cape Town based community activist and theatre director.  
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[[Albert Thomas]] (1932?-2006) was a Cape Town based community activist, administrator and part-time theatre director.  
  
Given this background, Albert and Gladys became engaged in ommunity activism and cultural matters in Ocean View and in  1983 they founded
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==Biography==
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He met and married [[Gladys Adams]] when she was 18, and they subsequently had two children, Adrian Thomas and Tanja Thomas. The family settled in Simonstown, but were later evicted in terms of the notorious Group Areas Act and moved to the “raw”, unfinished township of Ocean View.  This experience led to Gladys starting to write about the issues, and both of them  became engaged in community activism and cultural matters in Ocean View.
  
 
He joined the staff of the University of Cape Town in January 1984 and retired at the end of 1993, where he ran the Student Advice Office during the difficult 1980s and pre-1990 days. Many a struggling student was helped by Thomas to find their feet, get funding, find accommodation, or sort out a study permit (as was required at the time under the Extension of University Education Act, 1959).
 
He joined the staff of the University of Cape Town in January 1984 and retired at the end of 1993, where he ran the Student Advice Office during the difficult 1980s and pre-1990 days. Many a struggling student was helped by Thomas to find their feet, get funding, find accommodation, or sort out a study permit (as was required at the time under the Extension of University Education Act, 1959).
  
He continued to be engaged in community affairs until his death earlier this year at the age of 74. He leaves his widow, the poet and community artist, Gladys Thomas.
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He continued to be engaged in community affairs until his death in 2006 at the age of 74.
Long experience of community activism in Ocean View had honed Thomas's determination and ability to find a solution to challenging problems.
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==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
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Albert's theatrical work appears to have largely revolved around Gladys's writing. So for example she wrote the play ''[[The Time is Now]]'', a localized adaptation of ''[[Waiting for Lefty]]'' by Clifford Odets (1906-1963), in 1991 to be  directed by [[Albert Thomas]] for a performance at a mini-festival linked to a [[Theatre Action Group]] (Cape Town) seminar. In 1993, Gladys and Thomas began a theatre group, [[Getwize Players]], to perform her plays, choosing  Albert's production of ''[[The Time is Now]]'' as their debut piece, taking it on tour in the Cape Peninsula and to the [[Grahamstown Arts Festival]].  
  
He was at the university from January 1984 and retired at the end of 1993.
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== Sources ==
  
 
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2006-05-15-uct-remembers-two-colleagues
 
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2006-05-15-uct-remembers-two-colleagues
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''[[The Star]]'', 8 Oct 1991
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https://africamediaonline.com/search/previewpage/57_426
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Michele King. 2011 "Gladys Thomas of Ocean View – esteemed poet", ''The Scenic South'' (November 25, 2011)[http://scenicsouth.co.za/gladys-thomas-of-ocean-view-esteemed-poet-2/]
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Go to the  [[ESAT Bibliography]]
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== Return to ==
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities  T]]
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Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
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Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
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Return to [[Main Page]]

Latest revision as of 10:20, 3 June 2019

Albert Thomas (1932?-2006) was a Cape Town based community activist, administrator and part-time theatre director.

Biography

He met and married Gladys Adams when she was 18, and they subsequently had two children, Adrian Thomas and Tanja Thomas. The family settled in Simonstown, but were later evicted in terms of the notorious Group Areas Act and moved to the “raw”, unfinished township of Ocean View. This experience led to Gladys starting to write about the issues, and both of them became engaged in community activism and cultural matters in Ocean View.

He joined the staff of the University of Cape Town in January 1984 and retired at the end of 1993, where he ran the Student Advice Office during the difficult 1980s and pre-1990 days. Many a struggling student was helped by Thomas to find their feet, get funding, find accommodation, or sort out a study permit (as was required at the time under the Extension of University Education Act, 1959).

He continued to be engaged in community affairs until his death in 2006 at the age of 74.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Albert's theatrical work appears to have largely revolved around Gladys's writing. So for example she wrote the play The Time is Now, a localized adaptation of Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets (1906-1963), in 1991 to be directed by Albert Thomas for a performance at a mini-festival linked to a Theatre Action Group (Cape Town) seminar. In 1993, Gladys and Thomas began a theatre group, Getwize Players, to perform her plays, choosing Albert's production of The Time is Now as their debut piece, taking it on tour in the Cape Peninsula and to the Grahamstown Arts Festival.

Sources

https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2006-05-15-uct-remembers-two-colleagues

The Star, 8 Oct 1991

https://africamediaonline.com/search/previewpage/57_426

Michele King. 2011 "Gladys Thomas of Ocean View – esteemed poet", The Scenic South (November 25, 2011)[1]

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities T

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page