Morwa The Rising Son (10a)
Morwa The Rising Son – Schöne Aussicht 2022 (JES)
On May 13, we watched a play from Botswana at the Bright View Festival in Stuttgart. The rising son by Tefo Paya (featuring Molefe Thabang) told us a story about a young man growing up in Botswana, about the expectations, struggles and ideals imposed on a man. It was the first time the play was performed in Europe.
On stage there was a circle made up of fabrics, the play took place within the circle. What did it represent?
- It represented the cycle of traditions, but also boundaries we are surrounded by
- Tefo’s first sentences in the play were “I have to follow the path of those who came before me”, if he did that it would be an endless circle of people repeating the same actions over and over again
What were the props and what did they stand for?
- Tefo was standing in a circle consisting of fabrics like scarfs and blankets. In the middle there was a metal tub filled with water, and all around it there were different pieces of clothing, each one representing a person or a stage in his life. A tie represented his father, a skirt (an apron?) his mother, a scarf his gay roommate, a long pink feather boa his first girlfriend and red underwear symbolizing his sexual awakening. In the beginning and in the end he wore a suit, which stood for his struggle to fit in with society and the hardships he had to go through.
Which issues were explored in the play?
- the difficulties of growing up in a village
- identity
- puberty/sexuality
- diversity / gender stereotypes
Did you have any emotional recalls during the play?
- Yes, mostly the fear of what the future would bring and how to handle change and bad times
- I think he tried to show us that we’re not alone with our thoughts and feelings, everyone going through puberty goes through tough times
What surprised you?
- We sat at the same level as the stage, maybe that was on purpose, so he could show us that anybody in the audience could have been him.
- The ending, when he sat down in the middle of the audience
How did you like it?
- It was a really nice play, especially because the actor showed that much emotion, which you rarely see in men or boys nowadays. So he reached his goal to illustrate the image of the typical “male” and the issue of toxic masculinity. Afterwards when we talked to the actor, he was so kind, which I didn’t expect, I somehow expected a harsh, strict personality, but he was such a nice guy!
- Sometimes I felt like I did not understand the whole point of the story, not because of the language but because I felt there was something else I couldn’t grasp, couldn’t reach. And therefore I felt like I was missing something (which still was sort of inspiring).
- I loved the music with the beautiful chants in Setswana that went along with the story
Sum up what you learned:
- not showing any emotions doesn’t make you stronger
- not talking about how you feel doesn’t protect you from being hurt
written by 10a
Termine am FSG
Kunstwerk des Monats
Kunstwerk des Monats Februar: Lena Bredau, „Surreale Begegnung“(Kaltnadelradierung, J2)