Bartho Smit

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Bartho Smit (1924–1986) was a South African writer, poet, dramatist, director, translator, editor and publisher.

Biography

Born Bartholomeus ("Bartho") Jacobus Smit in Klerkskraal on 15 July 1924, he matriculated in Standerton and then completed a bachelor's degree at the University of Pretoria in 1949, followed by a Master of Arts degree in 1951.

He met the actress Kita Redelinghuys while a student and they married in 1949and they toured Paris, Munich and London between 1952 and 1957, where he immersed himself in drama and philosophy. While in Europe they met and became close friends with South African author Jan Rabie and others.

When they returned to South Africa, Smit initially worked as an arts editor for publications like Dagbreek and Sondagnuus, before beoming a publisher at the Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel. Founder and key member of the Sestigers movement, he was successively also the editor of magazines such as 60, Kol and Sestiger. Later, in the 1980s, he was also an influential founding member of the Skrywersgilde.

He died of cancer in Johannesburg on 31 December 1986

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

Though he began his writing career as a poet, but when he and his actress wife Kita went to Germany to finish his doctorate in philosophy (which he never did), he became enamoured with theatre and returned ready to become a dramatist and director.

An intellectual and highly experimental writer with a respect for theatrical tradition and a flair for the dramatic and metaphoric, Smit’s work is vastly eclectic and frequently controversial, the writing at times slightly cumbersome – yet always memorable.

Smit directed many of his own plays over the years, making his name with a few experiments with the realistic one act play, including his earliest work – Meisies van Vervloë Dae - and the play that established his reputation as dramatist, the haunting Moeder Hanna. Both produced by NTO in their NTO Kamertoneel in 1959, directed by Smit himself.

Always a political maverick, he then moved on to the more highly charged and serious political work, perhaps making him the most banned playwright in South African history, with virtually all his plays running into trouble (see entries on the individual plays).

such as Die Verminktes (Tr: “The Maimed” S: in English in London: 1960, in Afrikaans by PACT: 1977; Tr: 1960, P: 1960??**), Putsonderwater (Tr: “Well-without-water, or The Virgin and the Vultures - S: PACOFS: 1969, Tr: 19**, P: 1962), Christine (S: 19**, P: 19**), and the satirical political comedy of Don Juan onder die Boere (“Don Juan among the Farmers/Boers” - S: 1960, P: 1960??**), Bacchus in die Boland (“Bacchus in the Boland” -S: 19**, P: 19**)and Die Keiser (“The Emperor”- S: 19**, P: 19**) to the frothy expertise of Die Man met 'n Lyk om sy Nek. (“Man with a corpse around his neck” - S: 19**, P: 19**).

On occasion acted as adjudicator for the FATSSA Play Festival.

At the same time his superb translations of Moliére, Ionesco, ***, *** and *** were published in 19** and brought him many awards, including the **** Award. He was finally awarded the Hertzog Prize for Drama in 1978 in recognition of his work as dramatist with special mention of his plays Christine, Moeder Hanna, Putsonderwater and Die Verminktes (Beeld, 29 Apr 1978). His spirit lives on in a new generation of Afrikaans writers: Reza de Wet, Deon Opperman, Charles Fourie.

SMIT, Bartho. Afrikaans playwright. He wrote Moeder Hanna which the National Theatre staged in 1959. His Afrikaans translation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Visit, directed by Fred Engelen with Anna Neethling-Pohl, was staged at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre in 1962. Ricky Arden directed his Die Man met 'n Lyk om sy Nek for PACT at the Intimate in 1966.

Published Dramas

Moeder Hanna, 1955

Don Juan onder die Boere, 1960

Die Verminktes, 1960

Putsonderwater: ’n toneelstuk in vier dele, 1962

Die Man met 'n Lyk om sy Nek: ’n moord-komedie, 1967

Christine, 1971

Die Man met die Alibi, 1971

Bacchus in die Boland, 1974

Die Keiser: variasies op ’n sprokie van Hans Andersen, 1977

Awards, etc

1960: Encyclopaedia Britannica Award for his English translation of his play Die Verminktes (The Maimed).

1978: Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans drama for Putsonderwater, Moeder Hanna, Christine and Die Verminktes.

1979: Preskor Prize for Literature for his play Die Keiser.

Sources

SATJ Sept. 1987

Charles Malan. 1984. bInleding tot Bartho Smit se Werk" In: Sestigers in Woord en Beeld: Bartho Smit. Johannesburg: Perskor.

J.C. Kannemeyer, 19**;

Percy Tucker, 1997

Wikipedia [1]

Afrikaans Wikipedia [2]

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