Samanthole Arts Foundation

The stage is designed in such that the feeling you get as an audience member is that of two sides of the world, say an office station in Sophiatown, South Africa and the other in Harlem, United States of America. This is precisely because Bloke (William Bloke Modisane) was a South African writer, journalist and actor born in 1923 and his American Bantu (Langston Hughes) was an American writer, poet, playwright, novelist, social activist and columnist born in 1901.   Josias Dos Moleele as Langston Hughes and Anele Nene as Bloke William Modisane. Pic Supplied Bloke & His American Bantu is two-hander written by Siphiwo Mahala, produced and directed by Sello Maake Ka-Ncube. I stars a young talented  Anele Nene and versatile  Josias Dos Moleele. The duo’s combination is like made in heaven with both Bloke and His American Bantu endorsing them for telling their stories of years long gone. Their chemistry is compellingly commanding and the stage presence authoritative as they dance the sc

THE SUIT , a play of love story and humiliation  at The Market Theatre, May 2017 “I have always wanted to get into a rehearsal room with a bunch of actors and find a way to tell this beautiful and yet tragic tale  of  Philemon and Matilda,” says James  Ngcobo  the director of The Suit. The play is  effervescent of  passionate actors, with Zola  Nombona ( the youngest of the cast members)  as Matilda and  Siyabonga   T wala  as Philemon , both  as lead cast s .  Lindani Nkosi  narrates the play alongside  Andile   Nebulane  with Molefi Monaise  as old  Maphikela,  who broke the news of Matilda’s affair to Philemon at the bus station one morning.  Lesedi Motladi  is a dancer in this piece and appears on stage with movement, flair and prowess choreographed by  Luyanda   Sidiya .     Siyabonga Thwala as Philemon and Zola Nombona as Matilda. Pic Supplied The Suit is originally a short story by  Canodoise  Daniel  Themba , affectionately known as Can  Themba . The story was written in the 19

KATLEGO Chale as Oshoosi Size and Nhlakanipho Manqele as Ogun Size SUPPLIED Black History Month occurs in February every year and it has become synonymous to a celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history The origins of the Black History Month dawned in 1915,  half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment, act that  abolished slavery in the United States. Every year since his ascension to the position of artistic director of the Market Theatre in 2014, James Ngcobo has always made sure that he makes provision for a stage

On Sunday night, after countless postponements due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, I went to the Joburg Theatre's Nelson Mandela Theatre for highly-anticipated Gregory Maqoma's masterful choreographed dance piece which is fast becoming global Theatre piece, CION: Requiem of Ravel Bolero. Cion: Requiem of Ravel's Bolero   This dance piece  is inspired by the character Toloki in South African author Zakes Mda’s trilogy of novels ( Ways of Dying , Cion and latest  Wayfarers Hymn ) and music from French composer Maurice Ravel’s (1875–1937) Bolero. Bolero which is Ravel's most famous musical composition, is a one-movement orchestral piece, which he originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian actress and dancer Ida Rubinstein and premiered in 1928. Just like Maurice Ravel collaborated with Ida Rubinstein, and here too Gregory collaborated with the award wining Soweto Gospel Choir and musical composer and choreographer Nhlanhla Mahlangu. This dance pi