Scene It: A celebration of theatre and hope at the Baxter

Within the space of a month, the Baxter Theatre has treated audiences to three world premieres, two of which form part of the BAXTER BACK ON STAGE unique benefit season that sees renowned artists Gregory Maqoma and Zolani Mahola bringing their creative vision to the Baxter Theatre in support of the sustainability of this beloved theatre, a champion in the promotion of arts and culture.

The Gala opening of the BAXTER BACK ON STAGE for donors of the Baxter Theatre saw Marc Lottering MC the concert hosted by UCT Vice-Chancellor, Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng —both vibrant in spirit and their commitment to the Baxter and theatre in general. On the night, the new UCT Chair of Council, Babalwa Ngonyama, also reinforced everyone’s belief in the importance of the arts in keeping people’s spirits high in a time such as the Covid-19 pandemic. In doing so, she very fittingly drew a comparison between the times we live in, where arts funding is under constant threat, and the sentiment expressed by Winston Churchill during WWI when he refused to cut arts funding: If you are not fighting for the arts, what are you fighting for?

Baxter Theatre CEO and artistic director, Lara Foot, added her voice to the call for support in expressing her joy for the two performances developed by Gregory Maqoma and Zolanie Mahola as symbols of resilience.

NO HUMOR

This new offering merges sound and movement in a visually appealing landscape of ritual. It forms part of Gregory Maqoma’s Human trilogy and brings to stage an expression through movement that speaks to themes (such as sensitivity, violence and grace) entrenched in the human fibre of existence. It does this by revealing a life trapped in time; a life shortened by each second that passes.

In true Maqoma brilliance, his collaboration with the phenomenal musician and vocal maestro Xolisile Bongwana is riveting to behold. To borrow a comment overheard in the Baxter foyer, which perfectly summarises my jaw-dropping reaction in witnessing this beautiful, measured and considered choreography and music pairing: It is ART. The feeling that runs through this performance starts with a sense of urgency as the movements mimic the staccato rhythm of the accompaniment, while never sacrificing the air of fluidity, then morphing into more restrained, slower and measured actions, allowing a space within which an audience can fall into the breathing space of the performance after having held their own breath in awe from the beginning. As the piece progresses, it takes one on a journey that fluctuates between anxiety and courage. It truly is a performance that must be witnessed in person to appreciate its full impact.

YOU NEED TO SAY IT

When thinking of Zolani Mahola, “the One Who Sings”, audiences may associate her with a light, vibrant style of music that brings with it a sense of unity through melody. In this performance, theatre-lovers will see a more serious side to the energetic songstress: you may not feel the urge to get up and dance, but it will definitely make you feel as the piece speaks to issues of abuse and isolation in the context of the search for one’s true self. In YOU NEED TO SAY IT, Mahola reveals a narrative through song that is an emotional tug of war between struggle and self-acceptance. This performance has a meditative character; the music weaving through the spoken-word mimics the ebb-and-flow of the ocean. In bringing this piece to the stage, the One Who Sings shares her contemplative circle with guitarist, Frank Freeman, musical director, Mr Sakitumi, and the audience.

Though both NO HUMOUR and YOU NEED TO SAY IT are deeply emotional and a commentary on a fight with personal struggles, I found an element of hope reverberating through both. I anticipate that masked and socially distanced theatre-lovers returning to the Baxter under Level 1 regulations will find the same essence of hopeful resilience in their experience of NO HUMOR and YOU NEED TO SAY IT.

Throughout the evening those involved in the opening night of this benefit-season offering, were reminded that being a #BaxterAngel only takes R30 a month (equivalent to a coffee) for a year from 30000 patrons to help keep the theatre lights on in a space that has become home to so many. This sentiment was strikingly highlighted by artist Bongile Mantsai, who spoke about his career coming full circle at the Baxter: his artistic home and life-changing enabler. With his being but one of many success stories linked to the creative space of the Baxter Theatre, the call for a R30 a month donation (endorsed by William Kentridge, Africa Melane, Nik Rabinowitz, Sandra Prinsloo and others stars of equal gravitas) is a small commitment with the great potential to change lives. Visit www.baxter.co.za to find out more about this opportunity to support.

Patrons can book their tickets to attend the BAXTER BACK ON STAGE concert, showcasing the talents of Gregory Maqoma and Zolani Mahola, through Webtickets to not miss out on this limited run until 7 November 2020.