When
we went to Johannesburg we saw Curl Up
and Dye, a play that was very riveting and relevant to our discussions in
class. In its original production, it
was an instant success because of its lines that drew upon the common racial stereotypes
in a funny manner. However, the new
production has not gained the popularity that it once did. This is because the predominantly white
audience now has to think about what they’ve done. We were able to speak to the playwright and
actors after the play (which was an amazing experience), and the biggest change
was that the main character was a colored person, not a white person as in the
original production. I believe that this,
along with line placement changes, makes the audience think things like, “Did
we really sound as preposterous as it seems now.” Instead of making a white audience feel at
ease, it makes it feel sad, confused, angered, etc. I think this is important because it shows
the challenges of coming to terms with the past and I think it is important to
never forget what has happened.
To
me what made the performance so powerful was the black nurse who pleadingly
questioned the black custodian to demand better working conditions and treatment
as a human being. This inspired the
black custodian to emotionally demand better conditions which, in doing so,
made the (supposed to be white, but acted by a colored person) shop owner feel
distraught. I could tell that the
actresses who played the two black characters didn’t have to really act—they’ve
also experienced the hardship too.
Besides
being a vehicle of reflection on South Africans apartheid history, it
highlighted the hardships that women have to suffer—one turns to prostitution
and one cannot tell anyone how her husband beats her.
No comments:
Post a Comment