Johann van Heerden
(1949-) Drama lecturer, stage and film actor and director. Son of local director and actress Marie van Heerden. Trained at the University of Stellenbosch Department of Drama. As a young actor he made something of a name for himself on the Stellenbosch and Cape stage, and particularly in films.
In 1973 he became a lecturer in acting and directing at the University of Stellenbosch, completed an M.Dram degree.
As actor
Stage roles include Selle Ou Storie (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1974) at The Space, **.
He also acted for student productions on occasion, e.g. played the role of the Director for Pirandello's Ses personasies op soek na 'n skrywer (Six Characters in Search of an Author) .
As director
Directed well crafted shows with students. Among his productions for the Department were:
1973: Die Kaukasiese Krytsirkel (Bertolt Brecht), which he had translated from the original German. 1976: Die Goeie Mens van Sezuan (Bertolt Brecht) which he had translated from the original German. 1979: Andorra (Max Frisch) 1980: Lysistrata (Aristophanes) 1981: Woyzeck (Georg Büchner) in an Afrikaans version, which he had translated from and based upon the German source material. 1983: Enrico IV (Luigi Pirandello) in an Afrikaans version, which he had translated from the Italian (translated after study and research period in Italy in 1975) 1986: Die Vlindervanger (The Collector by John Fowles/David Parker). 1986: Van Arme B.B. (the works of Bertolt Brecht) - a biographical study of Bertolt Brecht and his work, based on Brecht on Brecht by George Tabori, in own Afrikaans translation from the German. 1987: August August, August (Pavel Kohout) 1987: Sylvia (compiled by Linda Pienaar) - A biographical study of Sylvia Plath and her work, compiled from her writings.
He also did occasional professional productions, among which *** for SWAPAC in Windhoek.
Translator
In 1988 he left the department after 20 years and joined Frans Marx Films as producer, and later moved on to become a senior manager in the M.Net stable. Retiring in 2003?*, he completed a D.Phil degree in Drama at Stellenbosch University, working on the post-Apartheid theatre (1994-2006) in 2006?*.
Sources
Igweonu, 2011: p474
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