Talent in the spotlight

There are so many talented young actors and directors in Makana that the National Arts Festival will have plenty to choose from in the coming years. 

There are so many talented young actors and directors in Makana that the National Arts Festival will have plenty to choose from in the coming years. 

The high quality of plays put on at the 2013 Makana Drama Development Festival on Saturday 2 November impressed adjudicators and audiences alike.

It was surprising that not more people came to watch the wide range of free shows at the Rhodes University Theatre.

Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company and Rhodes University’s drama department run the annual festival for community artists and local schools. Ubom! facilitates rehearsals, staging and performances which are then judged at the festival that has taken place every year since 2003.

Schools participating in this year’s event were: Archie Mbolekwa, Andrew Moyakhe, Victoria Girls’ High, TEM Mrwetyana Senior Secondary, Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary and Khutliso Daniels Senior Secondary. 

The list of other participants included the Eluxolweni Charitable Trust, Via Kasi Movers, Upstart Drama Club, Sakhuluntu, Emalanyeni, Granga Productions and I Have A Dream Productions.

The festival was split into two sections, with the juniors performing in the morning and the seniors in the afternoon.

Winners of the junior festival received prizes and certificates while the senior winners will go on to perform as part of the Remix Project at the National Arts Festival next year.