It tells the tale of a painter who tries to find the best way to capture and portray the events of one of the country’s most historic moments – June 16 1976.
The barely lit Glennie Hall stage was propped with barbed wire and wood plates; a wooden table and chairs in one corner, and an artist’s bare studio decorated with just an easel and canvas. The lighting in the room switched from black, to white, to red, symbolising flashbacks connecting the painter to the past.
The artist, in a shirt covered in blood, is on a journey to best capture the horrific tale.
The different scenes are acted out in precision by the drama society boys, with the painter placing himself at the heart of it all in order to relive and experience the moments for himself.
As he attempts, erases and re-attempts his work, he ends up producing 12 sketches which emotionally capture the aftermath of events and the emotional impact on those who were involved.
As the show comes to a climax, the painter communicates his final dream – to sketch and see an image of hope and restoration for a new South Africa.
The writer and director of the play, Jo Stemmet, said: “The boys are excited about the opportunity they’ve received to experience first-hand what the arts industry is like. It has been an extremely valuable learning experience for them.”
