The director of Fairdale Number 2 High School in Silversand’s award winning play, 12 reasons, 4 solutions, says they form part of a marginalised community, are wounded and seeking solace in the arts.
The school’s drama group won the High School Drama Festival’s competition, the brain child of Suidooster Festival in collaboration with Artscape theatre, and City of Cape Town. As part of the reward for winning the competition the group will participate in the Suidooster Festival.
Mpumelelo Phanginxiwa, director of 12 reasons, 4 solutions, says the whole play was workshopped by the cast.
“The play is about what is happening at home and then coming to school. The cast wrote the play by writing monologues about their daily lives and the challenges at home or at school and what is happening in their communities.
“Sometimes the frustrations from home follow them to school where they cause havoc. So we can call it workshopped where we explored ideas,” says Phanginxiwa.
Open doors
He says he believes the learners in the cast will go far and that playing at the Suidoosterfees will open doors for them.
“We are hoping that they will get other opportunities as they all have different dreams. I hope this play will give them confidence to tackle anything in life; be it acting or studying,” says Phanginxiwa, who is also the arts teacher at the school.
Cast member Ndlovu Liyema says the play is about the idea that it takes a village to raise a child, while Sitole Ibongwe says it is all about the arts. Christopher Gwanyana believes that you must trust in your vision. “Just do it and kill it,” says Mbozo Vuyolwethu.
