Marie van Heerden

VAN HEERDEN, Marie (1924 - 1987). Actress (earlier as Marie Viljoen), highly respected director and founder member of the Libertas Theatre Club in Stellenbosch. Director for the club of plays such as Hugo Claus’s Bruid in die môre (1977); J.P. Sartre’s In Camera (1976) and Hennie Aucamp’s Wolf, Wolf hoe laat is dit? (1974). Both her sons, Johann van Heerden and Marcel van Heerden, also became well-known professional performers and theatre practitioners.

Marie Viljoen started acting in productions of the KAT in Cape Town as an eighteen-year old in 1942, while she was studying elocution under Sister Hyacinth Skene. For the KAT she appeared in Die Hoogste Reg, Die Spaanse Vlieg and many other productions, while also acting in radio-dramas for the SABC. In 1947 she joined the André Rousseau Theatre Company as a professional actress in the touring production of Liefde in Satyn, followed by Eerloos. She was also a member of André Huguenet's company for a time.

After her marriage in 1947 she moved back to Cape Town and in 1952 to Stellenbosch, after the birth of her two sons. In 1960 she joined the Libertas Teaterklub and starred in Onderdrukte Begeertes, one of the one-act plays staged in the amateur society's first production. While directing and acting in many Libertas Teaterklub productions, first in The Cellar and later in their theatre in Bird Street, she also acted in a number of productions for the Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch, like Die Lewe wat ek jou Gegee het in 1964.

In 1964 she won the award as Best Actress, opposite Louis Eksteen, winner of the award as Best Actor, at the ATKV Amateur Toneelkompetisie at the annual ATKV drama festival in Bloemfontein for her performance in André P. Brink's Die Koffer.