After a year-long interdisciplinary process, UJ Arts & Culture (a division of FADA) presents the development run of Reza de Wet’s iconic African Gothic (translation of Diepe Grond), at the Con Cowan Theatre, from 11 to 15 October 2017.
The staging of the play is the culmination of a process that has seen more than 300 students and lecturers from different departments in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) becoming involved in various design and development aspects of the work. Student groups were challenged to design the set, costumes and develop a marketing campaign, together with collateral for the play. In addition to developing unique skills, a valuable outcome of the process was learning how to work collaboratively, which is becoming increasingly important in an environment where more than specialised knowledge is demanded from professionals.
Set against the backdrop of a farm in desolate ruin, the play tells the story of the complicated, passionate, and troubled relationship between two siblings. While they live in the past with no discernible future, struggling with their own demons, they face eviction in the present by an officious lawyer. Directed by Alby Michaels, with a stellar cast that includes Liezl de Kok, Zak Hendricks, Mpho Osei-Tutu and South African icon Thembi Mtsali-Jones, African Gothic is set to satisfy both the discerning theatre lover and novice alike.
The play will run for limited time, from 11 to 15 October, at the Con Cowan Theatre at the University of Johannesburg’s Bunting Road Campus in Auckland Park. For more information or to book tickets please visit www.uj.ac.za/arts or contact Lakin Morgan-Baatjies on 011 559 2690, or send an email to lakinmb@uj.ac.za
About UJ Arts & Culture
UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA) produces and presents world-class student and professional arts programmes aligned to the UJ vision of an international university of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future. A robust range of arts platforms are offered on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni and the general public to experience and engage with emerging and established Pan-African and international artists drawn from the full spectrum of the arts.
In addition to UJ Arts & Culture, FADA (www.uj.ac.za/fada) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines, in Art, Design and Architecture, as well as playing home to the NRF SAR Chair in South African Art & Visual Culture, and the Visual Identities in Art & Design Research Centre. The Faculty has a strong focus on sustainability and relevance, and engages actively with the dynamism, creativity and diversity of Johannesburg in imagining new approaches to art and design education. Equipped with state-of-the art, custom-built facilities, the Faculty is staffed by highly regarded academics, architects, artists and designers.