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Genbia Hyla’s Numbered

Genbia Hyla’s Numbered

Sunday, June 24, 2012 NUMBERED – 05978321 Genbia Hyla’s Numbered! or 05978321 (dedicated to Hylton Beresford Lutge) was written for the DUT: Department of Drama and Production Studies 2012 final year students to perform in Grahamstown (view original article at http://news.artsmart.co.za/2012/06/numbered-05978321.html).

The play revolves around a series of complicated events. First, there is a crime witnessed during a peacekeeping mission in Burundi in 2001 and a consequent court martial. A decade later, the witness is accused of murdering the perpetrator so this time we meet in a criminal court. Finally there is an implication of some sort of final judgement in which mortal action is evaluated by moral ethics.

There are a number of anomalies that surface. First, the playwright does not explicitly set the landscape in a particular area although there are South African inferences such as giving the director the choice between pub and shebeen, SADF has become National Defence Force, etc. Second, the director may choose whether the legal teams are the same characters or different characters as the trials are 10 years apart.

In this production the legal teams, although they remain the same, are operational in different court system and this is emphasized by changing the Judges: in the former Burundian trial a man plays the judge, in the latter criminal court it is a woman. Third, the defence of ‘automatism’ allows the audience to determine whether: automatism is a manufactured defence; a condition really suffered by the defendant; or merely a disorder originally brought in as a defence that the appellant becomes convinced is true. Fourth, in the story-line there are three systems of justice: military; judicial; ethical.

Finally we are not sure if the plot is a set of memories and we are inside the central protagonist’s brain; a flashback film strip running in the dying moments of the central protagonist’s life; or an actual sequence of significant events – therefore the only ones we remember. In the latter’s case, Hyla alludes to the fact that history remembers only highlights and events with significant consequences, therefore these are the only recorded moments that have longevity.

Conceptually, the work presents itself as a collage of scenes set in an armour-plated world evolved from the scrap heap, and mechanized by conditioned responses. The script includes strong visual representation for armour, masks, horns, skulls, grids, metal rods, armour-plated desks, uniforms, patchwork metal make-up that all take the play into an alternate cyberspace world.

One of the greatest challenges has been sourcing the items with which to construct the props, costumes and set. Mthandazo Mofokeng the lighting designer and Technical Director have been responsible for taking charge of this construction and working long hours to realize Hyla’s vision. Many of the songs are original with teams working together to finalize the melodies, making the project innovative for all involved.

05978321 is written by Teakshania Chetty collaborating with Genbia Hyla and directed by Thembalethu Professor Nqumako. Performances in Grahams town take place at the Rehearsal Room on June 28 at 16h00 and June 30 at 18h30. Age restriction strictly adults only. Tickets R35 (R25 student/scholar)

Go direct to the National Arts Festival website at http://www.artsmart.co.za. Posted by ARTSMART

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