Bie Engelen

Bie Engelen (1945-) is a trained actress, décor and costume designer and teacher of English.

Biography

Born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1945, and grew up there. In 1961 her family moved to Stellenbosch where her father, Fred Engelen, had been appointed a director for the Cape Regional branch of the National Theatre Organisation (NTO), and shortly thereafter was appointed as the first head of the newly established department of drama at the University of Stellenbosch. Her mother, the well-know actress Tine Balder also taught in the new department.

Bie graduated from the department of drama at Stellenbosch in December 1967. She had married John Cartwright and they went to Canada in 1969, she to study decor and costume design. Though her husband returned to Spouth Africa, she has lived in Canada ever since. Her résumé on Linkedin for the latter period includes being a leatherworker and running her own garden maintenance business, teaching EFL in Spain and in the Republic of Georgia, and acting in semi-professional productions.

In 2023 she published a limited edition of a chronicle of her mother’s life in the theatre.

Contribution While a student at the department of drama Bie was cast in two UTS productions: Queen Marguerite in Exit the King, and Catherine Sloper in Die Erfgename. She joined KRUIK in early 1969 for the role of Queen Marie in Die Koning Sterf. Sources

She was born Antwerp, Belgium, in 19** and grew up there. In the late 1950s her father was offered work as a director for the National Theatre Organisation (NTO) in South Africa and in 1961 became the first head of the newly established drama department the University of Stellenbosch. Her mother worked as actress, lecturer and costumier for the department as well.

Bie studied at the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department until 1966, where she met and married John Cartwright. She went abroad in 1969 to study decor and costume design.

Fluent in Flemish, French, German and Afrikaans, she also mastered English, which she now teaches as a second language around the world, having based herself in Toronto.