After the recent performances at Artscape and in Saldanha, Cape Town Opera will be taking One in Three to the Stellenbosch Town Hall on Sunday December 11, at 3pm, and the concert is free to the public.
One in Three is a compilation of powerful opera and play extracts aimed at raising awareness of Gender-Based Violence. The opera extracts are from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Sibusiso Njeza’s Amagokra, and the play extract is from Marlene van Niekerk’s Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anatasia W.
One in Three is sponsored by the Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the National Lotteries Commission, and is co-directed by Magdalene Minnaar and Christine Crouse.
The concert is named for the horrifying proportion of abused women and girls in South Africa, opened with its first performance at Artscape on November 25, the same day as the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based violence launched globally.
November 25 is also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This global campaign aims to draw awareness to Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a profound and widespread problem throughout the world.
Cape Town Opera’s Artistic Director Magdalene Minnaar has invited several people, advocates for ending Gender-Based Violence, to share a few words in between the opera performances.
Craftivist Nell-Louise Pollock’s embroidered works have been used throughout the performance, and she commented: “None of us are immune to the consequences of Gender-Based Violence in our communities. I want people to pause, pay respect, become aware, and spread the message to end GBV.”
Extracts from the spirited Porgy and Bess features Nonhlanhla Yende as Bess and Mandisinde Mbuyazwe as Crown. Amagokra (Heroes), sees Linda Nteleza as Uyinene, Pumza Mxinwa and Lusibalwathu Sesanti as Umfazi, Nonhlanhla Yende as Nomakhwezi and Narrator, joined by the award-winning Cape Town Opera Chorus.
Excerpts from Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anatasia W. (The short shelf-life of Anastasia W.), a play written by Marlene van Niekerk with incidental music by Braam du Toit, features guest artist Nicole Holm as Sus and Cape Town Opera Young Artist Van Wyk Venter as Daan.
The play was written in response to the appalling statistics of violence against children in South Africa. The Anastasia named in the title refers to little Annestacia Wiese, the 11-year-old girl who was assaulted and murdered in Mitchell’s Plain in 2007.
Those wishing to secure complimentary tickets should email rsvp@capetownopera.co.za by Saturday December 10, and they will be contacted by reply email with a confirmation.
