Maricelle Botha
South African legend of the stage and screen, critically-acclaimed actor-director and since January this year, Artistic Director of Pacofs in the City of Roses.
Jerry Mofokeng is known in South Africa for films like Cry, The Beloved Country, Mandela and De Klerk and the 2005 Academy Award-winning film Tsotsi. Even though he has done it all, the place he feels he belongs best is the theatre.
"I do movies, I do television, I don’t deny that, but theatre is my first love. I have sometimes jokingly said I wouldn’t mind to drop dead in a theatre, because that’s where I belong."
And if he had to choose between acting and directing, the answer is easy. Mofokeng’s face lights up in die massive Sand du Plessis auditorium as he talks about the theatre. "Directing! Creating magic with people, with tools, with costumes, with lights.
"I have been preparing myself for the seat of Artistic Director for the longest time. Let me explain how that route has worked. I went to Wits Drama School where I initially took my major in acting. During that degree I focused very much on directing. In 1987 I went on to study at Columbia University in America, where I obtained my Master’s Degree in Theatre Directing. I added management studies onto my directing studies because I thought, what’s the use I know the theatre, I know the stage, I know the auditorium, but I don’t know how the institution functions as one." He speaks while keeping his eye on the stage where they are setting up for a production.
Coming back from America he went on to teach at his alma mater, Wits. Then he was offered the position of Resident Artistic Director at the Market Theatre. "I directed a lot of plays there and one of the most memorable ones was Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena with Bill Curry and Nomhle Nkonyeni. I remember I was so scared that opening night that I didn’t go into the theatre," Mofokeng laughs.
He then went to join The Johannesburg Civic Theatre as Associate Artistic Director under Janice Honeyman. He later became Chief Director of the Mpumalanga Department of Sports and Culture and then became the Artistic Director of The State Theatre in Pretoria.
Mofokeng has big plans for Pacofs. "I am not here to create facades and to lie to people and tell them they are good when they are not. I want opening nights that are really up there. I have said to people, don’t tell me you are good, don’t try and convince me with paper, show me, let the work speak for itself. A building is as high as the depth of its foundation. I insist building on good foundations."
His presence here is already attracting great people to Bloemfontein’s stages. There are talks of Athol Fugard performing in the Sand du Plessis in August in his latest play the The Shadow of the Hummingbird, which he wrote, directed and plays in. "People know the name Athol Fugard but has never seen him perform on stage, they are going to see him here. I thank God that my presence here is attracting great South African talent."
He adds that Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu are on their way to Bloem in May, poet Lebo Mashile will visit the city around October this year and there are talks with Sibongile Khumalo, Ringo Madlingozi and Gcina Mhlophe for possible dates.
He says that he has experienced Bloemfontein audiences to be very disciplined and literate, and that nobody should try and take that for granted. "The audiences have an educated pallet."
He ends our interview on a more serious note. "I have inherited politics that are way beyond my office and I’ve said to artists if there is an opportunity at another theatre, you go and work at that theatre. Let no one say you are the enemy of Pacofs because of that."
Pacofs wil turn 30 next year and Mofokeng says he hopes that the whole community will buy into a major celebration.
maricelle@centralmediagroup.co.za
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