The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe —
“We have a man who takes himself as more of a man than the others, and hence the gender socialisation he has had leads him to abuse his lover.”
LOOKING for something hilarious to watch this summer? Then “Borrowed Parts” is just the production for you. Directed by Innocent Mwapangira, the production is an adaptation of Walter Wykes’ play “Borrowed Parts”. This Zimbabwean version features two crazy actors namely Lucky Mpofu who plays Otto and Melody Chiza who plays Martha.
The two are just magical on stage with their wittiness that can bring a smile to anybody’s face. The play tells of Otto who is “borrowing” Martha, a married woman he is obsessed with from her husband.
At the same time Martha is “borrowing” Otto for her own sensual needs. It talks about the sum of the human, that no person is the same as the other, and there is always a part in every individual to like or hate, hence we often borrow the parts we like about that person for our own pleasure.
“This production focuses on gender dynamics and how they facilitate abuse between partners,” said play director, Innocent Mwapangira.
“We have a man who takes himself as more of a man than the others, and hence the gender socialisation he has had leads him to abuse his lover. At the same time we have Martha, a female who uses her body as a tool to control and dominate men.
“So in the end the play does not dwell on women only, but rather on the human as a gender socialised being who acts according to this socialisation. Therefore, gender-based violence can only be dialogued from a human perspective, not only a woman’s,” he added.
Asked to qualify these gender dynamics to modern day society he said, “Traditionally, the male dominates to the female, hence Zimbabwean modern society is still characterised by patriarchy.
“The male initiates courtship within a relationship, he determines its growth and ultimately ‘pays’ to own the woman who loses her identity in the process. Martha is a victim of such a society, and longs for independence, freedom and domination of her life.
“She cheats her husband as a cry for individuality, albeit finding herself with a more dominant Otto. So the play plays on the power struggle with the couple, Otto wanting to prove his manliness while Martha uses sex as a tool to dominate him.”
Sadly though, in as much as the production is hilarious and creates a platform for dialogue on pertinent issues within society it is sad to note that it was hit by low attendance, which is characteristic of many shows.
On how they make a living when attendance at shows is bad the director said, “Making a living off these productions is not easy. We put in a lot of work and resources to ensure that we deliver a sound theatre experience, and yet we can hardly profit from all our work.
“There is a future for Zimbabwean theatre if only the public starts to recognise the power art has as a mirror of society that can positively affect and effect growth and development in all sectors. The same can be said for community organisations, the government and the corporate sector.”
