Department of Drama

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Bertolt Brecht en die funksionele gebruik van musiek
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Van den Heever, Frieda; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
This study focuses on Bertolt Brecht`s use of music in his epic theatre. After looking at his objectives against the background of his times, certain key aspects of his dramatic theory and practice in general are discussed e.g. its epic nature, Verfremdung, Gestus and his social engagement. This is important for an understanding of his functional use of music as an important element in his productions. Music as a sign system in drama is discussed with special reference to the genres in which music plays an essential role, viz. opera, in particular Wagner`s Gesamtkunstwerk and, most importantly, cabaret. The focus is on Brecht`s reaction against and point of connection with, each of these genres. The second part of the study focuses on the role of music in the practice of Brecht`s theatre. Naturally the specific composers with whom Brecht worked and specific productions are discussed. The relevant productions discussed are Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny (1930), Die Dreigroshenoper (1931) and Mutter Courage und Ihre Kinder (1939). Brecht worked against a background of social, political and economic upheaval. His art aimed at making people aware of unjustified social circumstances and inspiring them to engage in the task of changing these circumstances. For him this entailed communicating in a fresh way with words which had lost their meaning because of ideological abuse. For this purpose he made use of music in a very specific way. He tried – not always successfully – to avoid using music as an ornamental narcotic. This implied that music was always meant to serve the intention of the text, the Gestus. Music in Brecht`s theatre was dramatic not incidental, functional not ornamental, and music not as a means of escapism, but as an inspiration. The music, like all the other elements in his theatre, had to stimulate critical thinking and had to be of social use in order for it to be considered functional. The “great struggle for supremacy between music, text and production”, to which Brecht so often referred, complicated his goal of functionality and it was no easy task to marry his dialectical ideas. This caused for certain discrepancies between his theory and practice and I will take that into consideration in this study.
A certain idea of reality : possible worlds in the films of Michael Winterbottom
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Crous, Andre Johan; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates the notion of realism and in particular its applicability to the visual and narrative strategies employed in eight of Michael Winterbottom’s films. Realism is a term that has strong ties to the reality of the viewer, but this reality that governs the conventions for making a judgment on a work’s realism is in constant flux. Likewise, on the side of the film’s production, any number of tactics may be deployed to increase the viewer’s sense of realism and the research undertaken here looks at a variety of approaches to the creation and assessment of realism in a film. Many of the films discussed here are depictions of past events and the tension between the realistic reconstruction of the past and the necessary artifice that is inherent in such representations are studied in the light of the theories of possible and fictional worlds. Possible worlds are constituted by states of affairs that would be possible in the actual world; in the same way, realistic representations reflect the possibilities of the actual world without necessarily being an identical copy of reality. David Lewis’s concept of counterparts plays an important role in the analysis of filmic components, especially when these components are representations of actual entities. In addition to a consideration of counterparts, this dissertation will also look at the role of the “fictional operator” which facilitates discussion about fictional truths. While the fictional operator creates counterparts of actually existing entities and films remain always already fictional, the actual world retains an important role in fiction. In postmodern cinema the viewer is encouraged to use knowledge obtained from other worlds – either actual or imaginary – so as to enhance appreciation (analytical as much as emotional) of the film even more. The concept of realism has been thoroughly problematised, but many strategies continue to connect the events of the fiction either with the “real” world or with other worlds that rival the importance of the “real” world. It is suggested that the so-called “real” world used to measure realism can refer to any world outside the realm of the particular fiction. Realism can be a product of a visual style as well as the particular development of a narrative and in both cases the viewer measures the conditions against her own experience of other worlds. The world of the film is a fictional reality that is sometimes a representation of the actual world, but the relationship between the two worlds can never be completely transparent, in spite of the efforts that many filmmakers have made in this respect.
The Conradie Codec : the recoding of meaning in four of my stage adaptations
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-04) Conradie, Wilhelm; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis I attempted to analyse the four adaptations I created between 2004 and 2010. The first two products (texts and productions) were created in 2004 and 2005, while I was a student at the Stellenbosch University Drama Department. The third adaptation (text only) was created in 2007, while I was a freelance stage manager. In 2010, I collaborated with a choreographer for the first time to adapt a Shakespeare text into a dance theatre production. The process of adapting a text always starts with an interpretive reading. Extracting information and meaning from a text can also be referred to as ‘decoding’. In the process of creating the adaptation new meaning is written, or ‘encoded’, into the product that must in turn be decoded by the reader or audience member. A term for this decoding and encoding process that is often encountered in the field of video editing (an aspect of my current profession) is a ‘codec’. In video editing a codec is responsible for the decoding of a computer file into a video program that a viewer/audience can engage with, as well as the encoding of a video program into a file. Since I function as the ‘codec’ in these adaptation scenarios, I thought it appropriate to label my approach to the adaptation process, the ‘Conradie codec’. The aim of this reflexive study is to analyse my four adaptations, the processes as well as the products, in order to determine if such a codec truly exists. Research done in adaptation studies was presented in an attempt to define adaptation as both process and product – Linda Hutcheon’s A Theory of Adaptation was particularly useful. This created a framework for the study of each of the four adaptations in chronological order, according to the year in which they were created. The study also draws very generally on the principles of semiotics, especially with respect to the notion of coding. Firstly, the 2004 adaptation of Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author into Twintig akteurs op soek na ‘n [beter] Regisseur was analysed. This was followed by onsindroom (sic), an adaptation of August Strindberg’s A Dream Play. The third adaptation was iForest, which was created in 2007. This was an adaptation of (primarily) Eugene Ionesco’s The Killer. Lastly, the adaptation of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida into When in Love… was studied. It was concluded that, while the ‘Conradie codec’ does exist and was applied in the creation of the four adaptations, its efficiency was limited – predominantly by time constraints. In all four the cases analysed the rehearsal process started when a complete draft of the adapted text was not yet finished. This put enormous pressure on the rehearsal process. While this is accepted when creating a workshop style production, more time is needed to develop the adaptation in order for it to be cohesive. By going through the process of analysing these four adaptations, the Conradie codec has been adapted (or updated) to version 2.0.
Cutting real : self-reflexive editing devices in a selection of contemporary South African documentary films
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Maasdorp, Liani; Hees, Edwin; Dullaart, Gerda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since John Grierson first coined the term “documentary film” in the 1920s, there has been a debate about the objectivity or subjectivity of the filmmaker. Some theoreticians believe that a documentary filmmaker may not interact subjectively with her subject. Contemporary perspectives lean towards acknowledging the subjectivity of the filmmaker, and accept that subjectivity is intrinsic to the making of a documentary film. Some would even argue that it is precisely the subjectivity of the filmmaker – the meeting of an individual, subjective perspective with the pro-filmic world – that makes a particular film unique. Brecht believed that the structure of a theatre piece could be used to counter the audience's uncritical emotional engagement and identification with the content of the work. This Verfremdungseffekt enables the audience to engage intellectually with the work. The audience does not get lost in the content of the piece, but rather views it from a critical distance. Brecht believed that this distantiation does not exclude entertainment, but that the audience would be able to enjoy the production while viewing it from a critical, intellectual distance. The self-reflexive mode of representation is identified by Nichols as one of the primary ways for a filmmaker to engage with her subject. Self-reflexivity entails the inclusion of cues within the film reminding the viewer that it is, indeed, a film. The motivation for this is to make the audience aware of the constructed nature of the film, thereby acknowledging the subjectivity of the filmmaker. The most overt form of self-reflexivity in documentary films is the inclusion of the director in the film. The focus of this study is, however, more specifically on how editing devices can be used to foreground the construction of a film. Structural analysis of a selection of recent South African documentary films is undertaken as part of this study. The result of this in-depth analysis is a list of twenty-eight conspicuous, selfreflexive editing devices used in these films. To test the effect of self-reflexive editing devices, I purposely incorporated them into the construction of a documentary series, Booza TV, of which I was one of the editors. The goal of Booza TV is to change viewers' perceptions of alcohol and alcohol abuse. Both quantitative and qualitative research results pointed to the ability of the series to achieve this goal. The perception change, however, is not the focus of this study. Instead, findings specifically related to the viewer's experience of the editing of the production are analysed. These findings show that viewers do notice self-reflexive devices, that the devices can contribute to their enjoyment of the production and that self-reflexive devices are able to communicate subtext to the audience. The conclusion is drawn from the research conducted in this study that the potential of a documentary film to change viewers' perceptions is as dependent on the way the film has been constructed as it is on the content of the film.
Deadly funny : the subversion of clowning in the killer clown genre
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Spratley, Liezel; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
This dissertation investigates the potential for horror in the comic repertoires and performance styles of clowns, in an attempt to address the popular questions of why clowns inspire fear as well as laughter, and what makes them effective monsters in the horror genre. Notwithstanding short articles which offer a general and broad account, the question of why circus clowns are often viewed as frightening figures remains largely unexplored. For this reason I intend to undertake an in-depth exploration of the wide-ranging history of clowning – which includes anthropology, theatre, film, and literature. This study focuses on finding the primary causes of clowns’ horrific potential, rather than being satisfied with secondary causes such as the effect of their depictions in horror narratives on audiences. During my investigation of specific killer clown films, graphic novels and prose novels, and by drawing on works such as Noël Carroll’s Philosophy of Horror (1990), Mikhail Bakhtin’ Rabelais’ World (1984), and various other studies of the genres of horror and , or instances of practising clowns turning to crime, or simply accepting the view that they play tricks on their audiences, or that their make-up acts as a mask and therefore makes their faces and motives ‘unreadable’. Although these explanations are legitimate, they do not adequately explain why certain clown types prove to be such effective monsters in horror narratives. Clowns typically, albeit to varying degrees, flout taboos on deformity, scatology, violence and insanity, and carry with them the latent stigma attached to these phenomena, which are also recognised as the common themes of the horror genre. The focus of this study is not on clowns as figures of comic relief in horror, but as legitimate monsters in their own right, and an attempt is made to discover how audiences’ anticipation of comic relief and the ‘laws’ of comedy are used deceptively in the construction of clowns as figures of fear. During my investigation of specific killer clown films, graphic novels and prose novels, and by drawing on works such as Noël Carroll’s Philosophy of Horror (1990), Mikhail Bakhtin’ Rabelais’ World (1984), and various other studies of the genres of horror and comedy, as well as anthropological studies of clowns, I argue that, when clowns are shifted from comedy to horror, the comical features and actions that flout the taboos on deformity, scatology, violence and insanity are reinstated as elements of horror and fear. I propose that clowns have the potential to be appropriated as monsters in the horror genre because they exhibit a paradoxical duality of fear and humour, and they have the ability to transgress and violate comedy elements to horrific effect.
The dual world metaphor and the 'struggle' in selected South African and African films (1948 to 1996)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003-03) Ntsane, Ntsane Steve; Omotoso, K.; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University.Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The terminology used in segregationist discourse that South Africa is a combination of 'first world' and 'third world' elements has been appropriated from an international discourse about problems of world-wide socio-economic development. The terms are used to describe the sophisticated metropolitan areas inhabited by highly developed whites and simple, backward, isolated, rural regions occupied by undeveloped or underdeveloped blacks. However, in South Africa this dual world metaphor, which has socio-political implications that have brought great misfortune to blacks, was institutionalised by apartheid, with the consequences that blacks have expressed their resistance in what became known as the 'struggle' against the dualist system. Selected South African and African films whose themes have a bearing on such a socio-economic system are explored in this thesis. A supplementary exploration of films dealing with the theme of the 'struggle', which has become a metaphor for the 'generations of resistance', has been undertaken by means ofa detailed analysis. The interpretation of 'development' in this thesis finds a link betweeen the dualist paradigm, the perpetuation of poverty and the migratory labour system. The peculiar relationship which the 'struggle' has had with the cultures of black people, in which there is a mutual influence between the 'struggle' and the nature of these cultures, is explored in the relevant films. However, this thesis offers no solutions, but exposes a VICIOUS system which IS threatening to gain world ascendency.
Film spectatorship and subjectivity : semiotics, complications, satisfactions
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-03) Carboni, Camilla; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
Spectatorship is an essential aspect of the film industry, and hence a key facet of film studies. In film studies, however, the notion of subjectivity is marginalized in a preference for broad generalizations. This is because any consideration of subjectivity leads to indeterminate results. Such research is consequently of no use to filmmakers in guiding them on how best to accommodate mainstream consumer preferences, which is most often the objective of spectatorship studies. However, apart from this, subjectivity is a key component in film reception as every human being views ‘reality’ subjectively and therefore films also. Although the outcome of studies that include the notion of the ‘subjective individual’ will be indefinite, it is an important aspect of any study of spectatorship. The notion of the ‘subjective individual’, as opposed to the generalized notions of ‘audience’ and ‘spectator’, is thus crucial and consequently underlies my entire discussion. In an attempt to demonstrate the importance of subjectivity in film spectatorship studies, I address three primary notions in film reception studies – the text’s structure, cultural complications and psychological satisfactions. In doing so, I consider how each of these notions significantly involves the ‘subjective individual’. In addressing the first notion – the text’s structure – I examine the role of the spectator in relation to the film text, particularly during the reception process. I show how codes function, are organized, and are very specifically encoded into the text by the filmmakers. I then examine how the spectator – the recipient of the communication, who is positioned by the text (interpellated) to receive the narrative – decodes the text’s message. This process thus involves not only subjectivity in the filmmakers’ choices, but also in the ‘reading’ position that the spectator adopts, according to his/her personal interpretation of the text. The second notion – cultural complication – involves the aspects which condition both the encoding and decoding processes of film, namely: ideology, polysemy, the overlapping ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres, and the unconscious desires of spectators. Each aspect has a profound affect on spectator response and, consequently, on the study of spectatorship. Moreover, each aspect entails the notion of the ‘subjective individual’. The third notion – psychological satisfaction – deals with unconscious desires and thus addresses subjectivity in spectatorship in its most intense form. Lacan’s ‘Mirror Stage’ theory and Freud’s work on dream analysis demonstrate how personal the desires motivating the viewing of films are, again revealing subjectivity as a key aspect in film spectatorship study. In amalgamating these ideas, I draw on the phenomenon of celebrity. The film celebrity, originally an ‘object’ of the film text, has become central to popular culture for reasons of psychological satisfaction. I explore how spectatorship and what generates it – the film industry – have co-created the film celebrity and, in turn, how this phenomenon moulds popular culture and affects ideology; subsequently affecting the “theory of ‘reality’” by which we, as individuals in society, live. Since this “theory of ‘reality’”, although constituted by the dominant ideology, is personal and conditions the way we (as human beings and film spectators) view everything, spectatorship studies cannot ignore spectators as ‘real’ people – ‘subjective individuals’.
Kabaret in Suid-Afrika : kabarett of cabaret?
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2010-03) Van der Merwe, Grethe Elizabeth; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Various theoretists and artists have tried to describe, to define and categorise the form of art that we roughly refer to as ‘cabaret’ in an attempt to answer the question: “What exactly is ‘cabaret’”? Many are of the opinion that cabaret cannot be defined; others feel that to define cabaret, is to limit this free-form genre, and by doing so will turn it into something it is not. This debate unavoidably leads to confusion or a misconception of what cabaret is and leads to the genre being moulded into a fixed form contrary to its nature. Since its conception in France in the late nineteenth century, cabaret has acquired many faces, and today in South Africa, many kilometres from its cradle, it is still in a process of development. For the purpose of this study I want to make use of the two basic terms used to refer to cabaret: ‘cabaret’ and ‘kabarett’. These terms refer respectively to cabaret as a form of literary entertainment or one of socio-political commentary. These categories were introduced by Kurt Tucholsky in its formatory years in Germany. By applying these terms, I want to establish whether cabaret in South Africa is alive and well, which form it has adopted, and whether one can speak of ‘pure’ cabaret. In Chapter 2 I will explore the roots of cabaret as a form of art, offer reasons for its rise and trace its development in countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and England. With this as background, I will in Chapter 3 attempt to indicate some guidelines for the genre without restricting it in any way, in order to explore the origin and development of what can be labelled as cabaret in South Africa in Chapter 4 and trace its development as well as evaluate current productions. Finally, I will attempt to answer the question as to whether cabaret in South Africa can be viewed as ‘cabaret’ or ‘kabarett’.
Media en die teater : 'n praktiese ondersoek na die gebruike van film, televisie en video in twee Suid-Afrikaanse produksies
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1999-12) Hauptfleisch, Gaerin; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this essay is to research the frequent use of the electronic media in the theatre by contemporary theatre practitioners in South Africa. The term media indicates specifically television, film and video usage for the purpose of this essay. The ways in which media is used in the theatre include tools, techniques, themes and characters. The use of elements from the media, when used in the theatre, is a theatrical equivalent of the media elements within a theatrical framework with goals different from those normally applicable to the media. The research started with a look at the history of the relationship between media and the theatre on an international level, and it was found that there has been cross-fertilization between media and the theatre since the development of film. This cross-fertilization does not only imply tools and techniques, but also theatre and media practitioners, who work in both mediums and thus incorporate their ideas and expertise of one medium into the other. The reason for this cross-fertilization is that media developed, as an entertainment medium, out of live performance and that the basis of the different mediums is the same. Theatre practitioners started to incorporate aspects from the media in live performance as the media became the public's greatest source of entertainment and information, and thus an important field of reference. The use of aspects of media in theatre also gives theatre practitioners new means of expression and different levels of communication, not only through the use of media tools like television monitors but also because the medium used implies certain conventions of that medium to the audience. To evaluate the effective use of media in the theatre, two recent productions were looked at, Baal by Bertolt Brecht, translated and adapted by Arnold Blumer and Chris Vorster, directed by Chris Vorster, and The War of the Worlds, based on H.G. Wells's book, adapted and directed by Samantha Pienaar. Both were performed at the H.B. Thom Theatre, Stellenbosch, by the Department of Drama, U.S. My findings are that the media can be successfully used in the theatre. The media must though, be used as would any other design element in the theatre, to support theme; plot and concept. If used as external decoration only, media elements would undermine the creativity and imagination of theatre.
Sarah Kane en die liriek as literêr-musikale interteks
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011-03) Hamman, Frans Josias; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die literêre interteks staan sentraal tot die teks-analitiese proses en die gevolglike ontsluiting van betekenis binne die oeuvre van Sarah Kane, maar in die huidige besprekings van haar werk, word hierdie interteks alleenlik tot literatuur soos die roman, die gedig en die teaterteks beperk. Die gevolg is dat daar ‘n totale verontagsaming van die neerslag van die liriek as nóg ‘n tipe literêre interteks is. Beide James Macdonald (in Fisher 2001b) en Iain Fisher (2001b) dui daarop dat lirieke van heelparty orkeste - o.a. Joy Division, Radiohead, Nirvana en die Beatles - in Kane se werk nagespeur kan word, maar geeneen blyk ondersoek na die moontlike redes vir die ontlening daarvan óf hoe dit die betekeniswaarde van haar werk informeer, in te stel nie. Deur op Still en Worton (1990:1-2) se teorie dat die leser van ‘n teks sy/haar eie intertekste op daardie teks van toepassing kan maak in ‘n poging om die betekenis daarvan te ontsluit (selfs al word betrokke intertekste nie noodwendig deur die skrywer erken nie), te trek, word daarop gedui waar en hoe verskeie lirieke van voorgenoemde vier orkeste hul neerslag in vier van Kane se dramas, Phaedra’s Love, Cleansed, Crave en 4.48 Psychosis vind. Na gelang van Michael Riffaterre (1990:58) se teorie omtrent “connectives” (in hierdie geval die lirieke wat Kane se tekste met liedjies uit die populêre kultuur verbind) en hoe ‘n deeglike voorkennis daaromtrent die leser daartoe in staat stel om te bepaal of betrokke “connective” wel die teenwoordigheid van ‘n interteks daarstel al dan nie, word ‘n deeglike studie van elkeen van die lirieke gedoen. Daarna word verskeie raakpunte tussen hierdie lirieke en Kane se tekste uitgewys, hetsy dit met onderwerpmateriaal of tematiek verband hou, sodat ge-argumenteer word dat hierdie lirieke wel as intertekste beskou kan word. Vervolgens word die betekenisse van die onderskeie lirieke op Kane se dramas (spesifiek die tematiek daarvan) van toepassing gemaak en daar word ge-argumenteer dat hierdie intertekste óf bestaande beskouings daarvan ondersteun en moontlik daarop uitbrei óf dat dit tot radikaal nuwe insigte omtrent haar werk aanleiding gee, sodat nuwe en oorspronklike benaderings tot tematiek en karakters in die toekoms gevolg sou kon word. Uiteindelik illustreer ek aan die hand van my meestersproduksie empty (2010) hoe ek my benadering tot die neerslag van die liriek as interteks in Kane se werk op genoemde produksie van toepassing gemaak het, sodat die betekenis daarvan ook na gelang van die liriek as interteks duidelik word.
The significance of editing techniques in the adaptation of play texts into film
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Heslinga, Margaretha Elizabeth; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis sets out to provide comparative analyses of selected play texts and their film adaptations in order to demonstrate the significant role that editing techniques play in translating the play text’s dramatic elements into the visual language of film. The purpose of a film adaptation is to present a new interpretation of the play text that audiences will find engaging. In order to establish how the film medium is potentially able to enhance or alter the audience’s understanding of the original source text, the study turns to the field of semiotics to determine how the play text’s themes, plot and characters – embodied in a verbal sign system – are adapted into the audio-visual sign system of film. While cinematography, production design and music are critical elements in film making, editing can be regarded as the distinctive and fundamental signifying practice in the construction of meaning in a film. This will be the point of departure in analysing how meaning is “translated” from one sign system into another in the process of adaptation. By manipulating the key relations between shots, editing is able to guide the audience’s understanding of the film narrative, amplify character development, and generate intellectual and emotional responses. Different editing conventions have therefore been developed to amplify the dramatic effect of the narrative and the filmmaker’s vision. The different effects that editing conventions create in the interpretation of a play text are demonstrated by comparing two cinematic versions of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The use of continuity editing techniques in Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is compared to Baz Luhrmann’s use of modern MTV conventions in his William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996). Zeffirelli and Luhrmann both employ different editing conventions to amplify their “readings” of Shakespeare’s play text, thereby presenting an adaptation that their target audience will find engaging. The film adaptations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet therefore demonstrate the significance of different editing techniques in conveying meaning within a specific reception context. The series of reinterpretations of Christopher Isherwood’s Goodbye to Berlin (1939) illustrates how editing techniques are able to transfer Isherwood’s themes and political commentary on the rise of Nazism in Weimar Berlin across various texts and mediums, which include the film adaptation I am a Camera (1955) directed by Henry Cornelius, the Broadway musical Cabaret (1966) directed by Joe Masteroff, and finally Bob Fosse’s musical film Cabaret (1972). The comparative analyses of the above-mentioned source texts and their subsequent film adaptations demonstrate how different editing techniques are able to highlight new perspectives on the source material. Editing conventions are therefore highly significant in the creation of cinematic representations of the play text as they lead audiences to “read” the dramatic narrative within new contexts, using the visual language of film to create new insights that will complement the audience’s understanding and appreciation of the play.
Symbolic interaction and intercultural theatre performance dynamics in Uganda : the case of Makerere Universitys Intercultural Theatre Collaborations
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-12) Kagolobya, Richard; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation investigates and examines the dynamics of intercultural theatre practice. Existing scholarship on interculturalism in theatre praxis regards intercultural theatre as a site for bridging cultures and cross-cultural performance traditions, and for investigating the performance of power between the collaborating parties, learning, cultural imperialism, cultural translation and hybridity, among other features. However, much of the existing literature does not offer a historical perspective allowing one to understand the dynamics of contemporary North-South collaborations. Moreover, most studies do not adequately weave the experiences of the participants in such collaborations into their analyses. This study contributes to filling that research gap. This research specifically seeks to investigate and examine the dynamics of intercultural theatre collaborations in Uganda, taking Makerere University‘s Department of Performing Arts and Film‘s intercultural theatre activities in recent years as case studies. The inquiry was mainly driven by the impetus to explore the North-South intercultural theatre dynamics and to examine the socio-cultural, socio-political, socio-economic features and other notions that were manifested in these intercultural theatre collaborations and performances. In order to pursue the above line of inquiry I used a multiple case study design by examining three cases: the Stanford-Makerere, New York-Makerere and the Norwegian College of Dance-Makerere collaborations. The multi-case study model was reinforced by the use of personal interviews, direct observation, focus group discussions, document analysis and emails of inquiry in order to solicit the views of individuals who had participated in the above collaborations. Theoretically, the study is hinged on a multiplicity of concepts and discourses: symbolic interaction, intercultural communication, theatre studies, postcolonial studies, international education and the discourse on globalisation. In the analysis of the different cases it was discovered that the issue of economic inequality in the contribution towards the funding of the collaborations, among the different modes of power performativity manifested in the collaboration processes, sometimes leads to an imbalance in the decision-making process. Consequently, the power imbalance contributes to the North-South intercultural theatre collaborations‘ unending crisis of identification with imperialism. The study further shows that there are cultural, linguistic, pedagogical, structural and socio-psychological aspects of difference that are negotiated during the course of the collaborations. It was found that the process of navigating the socio-cultural differences provides the participants with an experiential learning environment of living with/within and appreciating cultural differences, thus providing a bridge across the socio-cultural divide. The cultural bridge in theatrical terms, however, leads to the generation of theatrical hybridity and fusion, which again brings into play the debate on intercultural performance authenticity/inauthenticity in theatre discourse. Also, based on the view that intercultural theatre collaborations are microcosms of multifaceted global intercultural interactions, it was seen that the socio-cultural differences that are negotiated through the intercultural theatre collaborations can give one a microcosmic platform for critiquing the grand concept of the ―global village‖ and the associated notion of ―world cultural homogenisation‖. Since this study uses a novel multidisciplinary approach in the analysis of intercultural theatre phenomena, I believe it will contribute to critical theatre studies in Uganda and elsewhere. The findings will also hopefully contribute towards the assessment of intercultural theatre collaborations at Makerere University in order to improve them. The study will also advance the view that intercultural theatre‘s aesthetic and experiential processes can help in interpreting and understanding our respective multicultural environments. Broadly, it will contribute to the discourse on intercultural communication, performance and cultural studies.
Theatre as alternative historical narrative : a study of three plays : "Ubu and the Truth Commission", "Copenhagen" and "Ghetto"
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-03) Faasen, Cornelia; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
In this thesis I examine the way in which fictionalised and dramatised narratives in theatre have the potential to create significant alternative narratives that can potentially be regarded as a crucial part of history writing. This is done through a critical analysis of three historically orientated dramatic texts, Ubu and the Truth Commission by Jane Taylor (1998), Copenhagen by Michael Frayn (1998) and Ghetto by Joshua Sobol (1984). I investigate how these playwrights narrativised history by fictionalising and dramatising events and people of historical importance, and how each of these plays individually contributes to the debate on narrative in historiographical discourse. Drawing on Hayden White’s theory on the poetic and narrative nature of history writing, as represented by his definitive work, Metahistory, I explore different theories and works on the philosophy of history to determine the precise nature of narrative itself as well as the historical work. Chapter Two is therefore an exploration of White’s philosophy on the ‘historical imagination’ as he describes his theory on the narrative and poetic nature of the historical document. In addition, this chapter provides an introduction to narrative in a theatrical text. This is done in order to examine how we can apply White’s theory to investigate narrative in theatre that focuses on historical events for the purpose of possibly including the dramatic narrative in the broader discourse on narrative in history writing. In this I highlight the theatrical narrative as a specific practice of language beginning with an interlude on representation in theatre. This is applied as the basis for examining the three texts in subsequent chapters. There are both general and more specific advantages in pursuing these arguments. Firstly, it may generate an understanding of some of the broad claims and problems bearing on the impact that literary theory is said to have on a subject which is not normally considered to fall within its domain, namely history writing. The work of Hayden White has been singled out to represent these claims, as he challenges the traditional distinction between history and literature. As a result, we are made aware of those arguments which set out to show that there are aspects of historical writing which are often ignored or which we generally overlook. An example of such an aspect that serve as the focus of this study is the narrative in historical explanation, representing the “ineluctably poetic nature of the historical work” (White 1983:xi). As such theatre can be an important tool in the process of constructing memory and alternative narratives, arguing that these narrativised histories could provide a “countermemory to the dominant narrative of the official histories” (Hutchison 1999:3). The theatrical texts singled out demonstrate that these alternative narratives in the theatrical texts function as a discourse of multi-levelled stories that engage with the complexities of the society and the complexities present in the context of the plays, making a contribution to the practice of historiography itself.
Tracing the impact of Stanislavski's system on Strasberg's method
(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2007-12) Van Heerden, Emerentia Eletitia; Hees, Edwin; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
This thesis explores the development of the Stanislavski system and the elements that influenced the growth of his theories and their impact on Strasberg’s work. In other words, the thesis has an explicitly historical orientation, and is not intended as a training manual for contemporary actors. It describes the many challenges Stanislavski faced in trying to change the conditions actors worked under and the quality of acting in the Russian theatre of his day. It discusses how certain theatre practitioners influenced him and the development of his system, which he saw as more of a helpful guide in moments of difficulty concerning the acting process and process of creation of a character. It further discusses Stanislavski’s relationship with Anton Chekhov, along with his learning experiences while working with actors at the Moscow Art Theatre. The thesis then discusses the impact of Stanislavski’s approach on Strasberg’s method. This includes tracing how Stanislavski’s system travelled to America and how it came to be introduced to Lee Strasberg. It then follows Strasberg’s learning experience at the American Laboratory and how he adapted and applied what he learnt there of the Stanislavski system into the Americanized version known as ‘The Method’ that he used while involved with The Group Theatre from the 1930s and later in The Actors Studio and his private classes from 1949 onwards. The thesis concludes with commentary on, and critiques of, Stanislavski’s system and Strasberg’s method from students who studied under them, fellow actors and their fellow theatre practitioners and contemporaries.
Understanding film and video as tools for change : applying participatory video and video advocacy in South Africa
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2009-03) Cain, Julia; Hees, Edwin; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Drama.
The purpose of this study is to examine critically the phenomenon of participatory video and to situate within this the participatory video project that was initiated as part of this study in the informal settlement area of Kayamandi, South Africa. The overall objective of the dissertation is to consider the potential of participatory video within current-day South Africa towards enabling marginalised groups to represent themselves and achieve social change. As will be shown, the term ‘participatory video’ has been used broadly and applied to many different types of video products and processes. For the preliminary purposes of this dissertation, participatory video is defined as any video (or film) process dedicated to achieving change through which the subject(s) has been an integral part of the planning and/or production, as well as a primary end-user or target audience. The two key elements that distinguish participatory video are thus (1) understanding video (or film) as a tool for social change; and (2) understanding participation by the subject as integral to the video process. An historical analysis thus considers various filmmaking developments that fed into the emergence of participatory video. These include various film practices that used film as a tool for change -- from soviet agitprop through to the documentary movement of the 1930s, as well as various types of filmmaking in the 1960s that opened up questions of participation. The Fogo process, developed in the late 1960s, marked the start of participatory video and video advocacy and provided guiding principles for the Kayamandi project initiated as part of this dissertation. Practitioners of the Fogo process helped initiate participatory video practice in South Africa when they brought the process to South African anti-apartheid activists in the early 1970s. The Kayamandi Participatory Video Project draws on this background and context in its planned methodology and its implementation. Out of this, various theoretical issues arising from participatory video practice contextualise a reflection and an analysis of the Kayamandi project. Lastly, this study draws conclusions and recommendations on participatory video practice in South Africa.

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