Maitisong - I was Man - Drama - 16th to 21st April

Proudly Presents

I WAS A MAN

Performed by Lungelo Sitimela Directed by Given Jikwana

“Dramatises the hardships that a man encounters” – Cue – NEWSPAPER

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16th April - 19h00 - Moving Space at Maru-a-Pula school - P30 - 19h00

18th April - 19h00 - Moving Space at Maru-a-Pula school - P30 - 19h00

19th April - 19h00 - Moving Space at Maru-a-Pula school - P30 - 19h00

20th April - 19h00 - No 1. Opera House - P30 - 19h00

21st April - 19h00 - No.1. Opera House - P30 - 19h00

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I was a Man is a 45 minute play about a personal challenge through better and worse. A man, who thought the struggle for a New South Africa was his legacy to his family, suddenly realises that a personal struggle is much more challenging when his wife unexpectedly calls for a divorce. This solitary struggle is worsened when unemployment is added to his troubles. The play is portrayed through movements, images and monologues.

The Performer: Lungelo Sitimela

Lungelo Sitimela studied Theatrical Drama at the Community Arts Projects in 1998, for 3years and staged many Professional Plays with Nhlanhla Mavundla including Water Pocket, Touch Wood, Mbwew’embi and Nongqawuse. Sitimela has taught Advance Drama program around 2003 – 2004 in Amac and facilitated Poetic sessions in Cape town festival, He has worked with Thembi Seete of SABC1 Jika Amajika for Engen’s promotion through Industrial theatre.Lungelo is also a hip hop Artist and recently performed in Khayelitsha festival and lead role in Oxford University press’s Play as Stop Nonsense. In 2001 He starred in Son of a Bitch with Given Jikwana. After 7yrs they are assembling for this new piece. He is greatly fascinated by cartoon acting style and enjoy teaching environment theater and recently in starred in Artscape's “ Oom Piet”.

Writer and Director

Given Jikwana was a complete Pantsula, introduced to groups such as Vibration, Via Africa and Imperial. Born in Johannesburg and Joined Bheka Artists in 1992 and starred in many productions. In 1996 He wrote his first production. Since then he has written many songs for different productions and Gospel groups, choreographed many pieces for Pantsula groups and trained many Artists in between 2000 – 2010. Jikwana has taught theatre in Botswana, Lesotho, Canada and Germany. He has produced many plays and has been seating as Adjudicator since 2008 for Eistefford; He has directed many plays including Choice for Oxford University Press. He is the founder of Bapa theatre Academy and Buya Arts Festival. He is currently the Western Cape Chairperson in South Africa for National Community theatre for education and Development – network. Serving in many committees of artistic associations in South Africa, Jikwana is a theatre entrepreneur as well, having served the Flemish government as Program Manager for Batsha Juegd arts program. He has written many documents for Western Cape artistic community. He seats in PANSA steering committee and currently writing a paper “Silent Acting” for University of Stellenbosch that he will be presenting at the conference in University of Swansea in Wales – July 2011.

Given Jikwana: - with Dr Festus Mogae

STAGE Manager – additional dialogue

Mishek Marola is the theatre facilitator for the Buya school theatre festival at the H.B Thom theatre in Stellenbosch, studied theatre at the New Africa theatre academy and graduated in 2004. Since then he worked strictly in community theatre and directed a number of plays which were staged between Baxter theatre and Artscape. He is an excellent performer having won number of awards for best acting.