Staging, Style & Synopsis Flashcards
Who wrote Woza Albert!?
- Percy Mtwa
- Mbongeni Ngema
- Barney Simon
What was the creation process used to create Woza Albert!?
- workshop theatre
When and where was the play first performed?
- Market Theatre Johannesburg
- 1981
What is the style of Woza Albert!?
- protest theatre and poor theatre
What does the succession of small scenes of black life during apartheid show?
- the absurdity of racial oppression
What does the succession of small scenes of black life during apartheid also illuminate?
- the logic of a plot in which South Africans seek the return of a saviour, Morena
- who fulfills the biblical prophecy that Jesus Christ will return
What does the title of the play refer to?
- the deceased leader of the ANC and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Albert Luthuli
- and symbolizing biblical prophecies that the dead will rise to join Jesus Christ when he is resurrected
What does Morena do at the conclusion of the play?
- raises Luthuli from the dead as Jesus miraculously raised Lazarus in the New Testament
- summons other prominent past leaders
Who else does Morena summon from the dead?
- Robert Sobukwe
- Lilian Ngoyi
- Steven Biko
Why does Morena raise these prominent past leaders from the dead?
- to rise and make South Africa a “heaven on earth” for black people
- by addressing the atrocities of apartheid
How is the play deliberately presented?
- using only basic resources
What is the style of the play?
- improvisatory, rough and ready style
What do we rely on to bring the scenes to life?
- the skill of the actors
What is there that is cause for more informal staging techniques?
- an immediacy
- that using more formal staging techniques might now allow
What is the relationship between the actors and the audience like?
- it is direct and it is given major importance