Midlands’ new theatre beacon

23 Oct, 2016 - 00:10 0 Views
Midlands’ new theatre beacon

The Sunday Mail

Takudzwa Chihambakwe —
We believe quite strongly that our pupils whose ages range from 13 to 20 years can hold their own against the best in Zimbabwe. Chaplin High School scholars have taken it upon themselves to be the hub of theatre in the Midlands Province. For fouryears now, the schools’ drama club has been conquering in all competitions in the province and it is against this background that the club is now being turned into a classical outfit that has the capacity to leave many professional theatrical groups green with envy.

“These youngsters have won every competition they have entered within Midlands Province for the past four years. Their greatest strength is their ability to adapt to varying situations and audiences. This adaptability has seen them perform for the deaf and mute, the group has performed in a stadium and on the traditional stage in halls and theatres,” said patron of the drama club, Victor Nyamayedenga.

“They also stand out from the rest due to their ability to encapsulate the lives of some of Zimbabwe’s iconic figures such as Jairos Jiri and Stella Chiweshe in their twenty-five minute productions. Unlike many theatrical productions in Zimbabwe that strive on comedy, Chaplin thrives to depict real life stories.”

Currently, the students’ flagship production is entitled “The Dream”, a play that explores the struggle for Independence in Africa. The story is set in apartheid South Africa but all African countries can identify with it. This is a story that has been told over and over again but it is the theatrical techniques that were employed here that set it apart as a masterpiece.  The play has three plots that develop at the same time on stage.

Said Nyamayedenga: “The play was written in typical Chaplin fashion of exploring real life stories. “The Dream” is based on the South African struggle against apartheid.

“To those with a critical eye and ear, this is really a Zimbabwean, Mozambican, Tanzanian or Namibian story, it is really any African country’s story about its fight against colonialism. Every African country can identify with this story,” he said.

The plays have a tremendous impact on the students’ literature studies and shaping career paths.

“Literature students are benefiting immensely from the practical side of theatre. Unlike a pupil who experiences Shakespeare on paper, these pupils have a practical feel of some of theatrical techniques that are employed by playwrights like Shakespeare.

“The generality of the club members are, however, being exposed to the various areas of specialisation like lighting, sound engineering, make up artistry, set design and script writing.

“We believe that we are a powerhouse of theatre in Zimbabwe, hence we are harbouring this dream of claiming the National Drama for High Schools title one day.

“We are also pushing for a National Arts Merit Award (Nama) nomination this year. We believe quite strongly that our pupils whose ages range from 13 to 20 years can hold their own against the best in Zimbabwe. We also dream of being invited to act at some big stage in Harare.”

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