Deutsch
English

koleka putuma & ensemble

mbuzeni
internationales Gastspiel

Saturday, 12. May, 18:00 Uhr

Regie: Koleka Putuma
mit: Thumeka Mzayiya, Yvonne Sisipho Mbopa, Thulisa Mayalo, Awethu Sharon Hleli

Dauer: 55 Minuten, ab 13 Jahren
Spielort: Comedia Theater, roter Saal
Vondelstraße 4- 8

Mbuzeni tells the story of 4 orphan girls. The sisters live on the outskirts of a small village; a cemetery separates them from the other villagers. In this community there are strictly observed rules and rituals for burials. As they play, the children create a world of their own with new rules, causing them to violate local customs. However, their defiant self-assertion comes at the ultimate price. Mbuzeni is performed in English and IsiXhosa, two of the 11 official languages in the Republic of South Africa.


Based on a short story by Jamaica Kincaid, Koleka Putuma developed this play in 2014 by means of continuous improvisation and discussions in various forums before finalising and presenting it at University of Maryland ´s New Visions New Voices International Playwrights´ Program. With her work, Putuma aims to create new narratives for and about black South African women, whose role models in literature and drama are still riddled with traditional stereotypes (e.g. maids, slaves). She writes stories that do not portray girls as powerless or as objects at the whims of men or whites.

In 2017, "Mbuzeni" was featured in the festival programme of the ASSITEJ World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.


www.cocoputuma.wordpress.com