The play is a reincarnation of the classic, first performed in 1994.
One afternoon in 1994, young Josias Dos Molele was waiting for a taxi to fill up at a taxi rank in Pretoria when he eavesdropped on road workers discussing the country's politics.
“As I listened to them, one of them said, 'You know tar is black. You have to draw a white line on the tar.' The other one said, 'White people always say, 'I know tar is black.' 'That means you're above us,' and I thought that was a great analogy. I had never thought of it that way,” Morile says. The Citizen.
Thirty years later, that conversation still serves as inspiration for the play. call me crazy Currently playing at Market Theater.
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call me crazy: The classic is back
The play is a reincarnation of the classic, which was first introduced to theatergoers in 1994. It tells the story of Auntie, a disillusioned road construction worker whose mission is to tar every road in the world.
“I used the road analogy of Auntie wanting to tar every street on earth, which was Mandela's dream to bring everyone together,” the director explained.
“This was written in 1994, and I think it was made at a time when we didn't really know where this country was going. Some people wanted to leave the country, some people thought it was going to be a disaster. There were people,” the director said.
This latest version was written and directed by Moleele. call me crazy Starring Cudjo Green (Antti), Momo Matsunyane (Half-Half), and Noko Maboya (Ampel Birth).
The role was previously played by Selo Sebotsane, Morile, and Marietti Bosma, respectively.
Much like South African democracy, the play is 30 years old and has built a legacy. Other actors who participated call me crazy Includes Sello Maake KaNcube and Tony Kgoroge.
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new twist
This satirical show provides humorous glimpses into South Africa's residential, urban and rural life, unconvincing parliamentary debates, government corruption and other South African scenarios.
But what gives this play an added punch is its presentness. Molele said they always make sure to reflect our times.
For example, in part of the story, the main character Aunty is interviewed on MacG's podcast and Chill.
“I used to do People of the South with Dali Tambo. But as I'm doing this year, Noko, the youngest of the group, doesn't know Dali Tambo,” Molele said. said.
“Gen Z groups say this play speaks to us. Millennials say this play speaks to us, and even baby boomers say this play speaks to us.” I said.”
Where and how Morire came up with the idea for this story is about the gems you can find when you're around ordinary people living complicated lives.
“Most of my plays are always about these ordinary people, and I find amazing stories that I never thought of. I love these characters and their outlook on life is amazing,” he says. said.
The importance of this play is that it speaks to life in South Africa, and productions like this need to be seen by a wider audience than just avid theater fans.
He said he had already begun discussions with South African National Highways Agency (Sanral) and other road construction companies about making the images available to road workers.
“When I was talking to the road construction companies and Sanral and their CEOs, I told them there was an educational aspect to this.”
Morile also applied to have the show staged at the Baxter Theatre, Playhouse and Edinburgh Festival Theater in Scotland.
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performance display
It's one thing to have a good script and aggressive direction, but to bring it all to life you need actors to bring the characters to life.
From his vulnerability as a disgruntled worker to his rise to power as an entrepreneur, Green's portrayal of Aunty was more than just believable.
The film truly and hilariously captured and expressed the contradictions of South African politicians and those in power, especially their obliviousness to real issues.
In all the scenes where she played different characters, Matsunyane stayed true to who she was.
This was most noticeable when she played different audiences on talk shows.
Whether it was the town's disgruntled entrepreneur, Auntie's drunk friend, or Kimberley's damsel, Matsunyane was present and true to them throughout.
Although she didn't stand out as much as her co-stars mentioned above in most of her scenes, young Maboya did everything that was asked of her.
Signs of her acting consistency are shown in her portrayals of a traffic police officer and a medical receptionist. It wasn't just about how she performed the dialogue, but also about how she used her body and the mannerisms of the people she was portraying.
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chemistry
Mr Molele said working with the actors was made easier and more enjoyable because he and Mr Green had recently directed a play directed by Matsunyane. Ka rebizo la moyaMatsunyan also writes. Green was also the director of this play. forget to learnwhere Nyane Matsu took the lead.
“Because of our closeness and the idea that we are all writers, actors and directors, we said we have to continue to collaborate in this way,” Morele said.
He said the actors immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of this film. call me crazy.
Mr Matsunyane echoes Mr Molele's words.
“I didn’t hesitate because I love his work and his sense of humor so I knew it would be a hell of a lot of fun to participate. Under the leadership of Bra Dos, I love his work and his sense of humor, so I didn’t hesitate. “I am honored to play alongside such great talent,” she said.
“In any process, I am always aware of my own skills, but it is equally important to respect the way others work and trust their vision, and we all That’s exactly what we did,” Matsnyane said.
“The great thing is, there was already a relationship, so it felt like we were picking up where we left off, except he was now in charge.”
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