Rehane Abrahams

Rehane Abrahams is a performance artist from Cape Town, South Africa. She has performed several works, from Shakespeare to contemporary productions in South Africa and in the America. She was a recipient of the FNB Vita Award for Best Actress in 2001. She is a co-founder of The Mothertongue Project, a collective of women artists. [Cite web |url=http://www.mothertongue.co.za/women-artists.htm |title=Mothertongue Project Management |accessdate=2008-07-01] She has written and performed a number of plays that have appeared in South Africa, San Francisco and London. She has also appeared in numerous television shows, including "SOS" on e.tv and as Zelda in "Hotnotsgode" on the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

Early life

Rehane Abrahams grew up in the suburb of Retreat, Cape Town. She went to Livingston High School, and later graduated from the University of Cape Town's (UCT) School of Drama. As a teenager, she was involved in the anti-apartheid Struggle, but gave up this role to become an actor. While at UCT, she started writing plays, including "Adam's Apple", in which she played the part of Lilith. This character was to haunt her for years as she took on a variety of erotic forms, crossing gender boundaries, and generally upsetting the South African establishment.

From her work in the "femme fatale" Marathon of "Shots in the Dark" performed at the Black Sun, to the grunge queen of "Wider Than This" and post-porn overtones of "Fresh Wounds" (Abrahams/Braham). Abrahams work is affected by her having grown up in a "colored" group area, and her experience of segregation -- the system of apartheid that kept people of all races, apart. She was classified Cape Malay by the government, a label she still uses in her writing.

Performances

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*"Shots in the Dark" (Abrahams/McCarthy) Marathon, "Black Sun Theatre", Johannesburg S.A.
*"Wild South" (Wayne Robbins) Topsy, Nico Malan Theatre, Cape Town S.A.
*"Wider Than This" (Abrahams) Solo Performance, Cafe Bijou, Johannesburg S.A.
*"Fresh Wounds" (Abrahams/Braham) Brenda, Duke of Cambridge Theatre, London
*"Rites Dance Theatre" (workshopped)
*"The Sacrifice", Arena Theatre, Cape Town S.A
*"Macbeth" (Shakespeare) Lady Macbeth, Arena Theatre, Cape Town S.A.
*"Adam's Apple" (Abrahams) Lillith, Monument Theatre, Grahamstown S.A.
*"The Crucible" (Arthur Miller) Abigail Williams, Little Theatre, Cape Town S.A..
*"Venus Goes Vulgar" (Abrahams/Hardie) Zerelda, Arena Theatre, Cape Town S.A..
*"The Last Trek" (Stopford) Holly, Hiddingh Theatre Cape Town S.A.
*"Dankie Auntie" (Zakes Mda) Pearly Heavens, Umanyano Theatre, Grahamstown S.A.
*"House of Bernada Alba" (Lorca) Mourner, Arena Theatre, Cape Town S.A.
*"High School Musical" - Stage version (Stage manager), Bali, ID

Film & Television

*"Desirs Noir/Dark Desires:Anna" (feature) Marie, Le Sabre for Canal 6, Paris France
*"The Shattered Mirror" (drama) Thelma, Ronny Watt Prod. for C.C.V, South Africa.
*"Die Allemans" (family drama) Dalene, C films for S.A.B.C. South Africa

Other performances

*"Queen Guru", The Base, 1989.
*"Rainbow Nation Peace Ritual", Feb 3, 1990.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.calabashstorytellers.co.za/MTP/interest.htm Biography from Calabash Storytellers]
* [http://www.feministafrica.org/04-2005/matchett.html Profile on the Mothertongue Project]