Department of History

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Browsing Department of History by Subject "Afrikaans drama -- History and criticism"

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    Reflections in a broken mirror : a cinematic exploration of Afrikaans theatre post-apartheid, c. 1984–2022
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Fox-Martin, Amber Dawn; Bickford-Smith, Vivian; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The documentary-thesis, Reflections in a broken mirror, uses the medium of film to explore Afrikaans theatre history from 1984 to 2022. More specifically, this research defines and investigates a sub-genre of Afrikaans theatre that bears the following traits: engaging, cathartic, self-reflective, existential and boundary-pushing. Exploring theatre history through documentary film methodology is underutilised, moreover, this research proposes that the visual storytelling medium of theatre is best represented through film. The central question driving the film asks how this genre of Afrikaans theatre survived and adapted to a post-Apartheid South Africa. Reflections in a broken mirror explores theatre’s role in capturing the zeitgeist of different periods. While existing research has investigated broader trends in Afrikaans theatre post-1994 and the Afrikaans theatre festivals, these dissertations end their analyses between 2003 and 2006, leaving the subsequent period unchartered. Film sequences present case studies by combining archival sources with interviews to capture the historical moment of each case study. The key theatre productions explored in the film are TRITS (Mis, Mirakel, Drif) (1992–1994), Donkerland (1996), Drie Susters, Twee (1997), Boklied (1998), Ek, Anna van Wyk (1999), Aars! (2001), Saad (2007), Ons vir Jou (2008), Sakrament (2009), Die kortsondige raklewe van Anastasia W. (2010), and Balbesit (2013). Three generations of theatre makers emerged in this study. The first generation operated within the apartheid state-funded infrastructure between the 1970s and 1990s and were referenced in the preceding study, A Feast in Time of Plague. The second generation emerged as creators during the period of transition between the 1980s and 1990s. The third generation emerged at the turn of the century, creating work in the 2000s. The film notes that this sub-genre of theatre has experienced existential struggles throughout each period, with a recent decline in industry infrastructure after 2013. This study concludes that the methodological practice of documentary filmmaking is effective when exploring theatre history, due to the correlations between both storytelling mediums.