Nov. 4, 2003

Leslie Jacobson: A Dramatist Abroad

Chair of GW’s Department of Theatre and Dance Makes a Dramatic Sojourn to South Africa

By Jane Lingo

What’s it like to create a dramatic piece, a short play, based on life in a rural township in South Africa? Leslie Jacobson, chair of GW’s Department of Theatre and Dance can tell us.

The recipient of a University Facilitating Fund grant, she traveled to the township of Winterveldt in the northeast corner of South Africa last June to collaborate with Roy Barber, a professional composer from the Washington area. Barber had already established a relationship with a youth group, creating a brief presentation on AIDS education.

Jacobson’s four-week collaboration with Barber resulted in the creation of a 45-minute performance piece with music, titled “Family Portraits: The Door is Open.”

In describing her experience, Jacobson reflected upon current affairs in that part of Africa. “It’s rough,” she said of life in Winterveldt. Established about 50 years ago as a black township, some 40 kilometers north of Pretoria, the village now has a population of about 500,000. “Some people are in corrugated tin huts, although there is some new housing,” she continued. “Of the population, 25 percent is HIV/AIDS infected. After AIDS, the second greatest social problem is domestic violence. There also is 50 percent unemployment.”

Previously, Barber and Jacobson collaborated on a program for Washington-area high school students promoting compassion and tolerance and combating homophobia. “The piece,” she recalled, “was based on interviews with students and teachers — gay and straight — followed by discussion. It seemed to give people the opportunity to discuss difficult issues.”

In Africa, the two worked with a group of at-risk youth, ranging in age from 14 to 21 years, at the Bokamoso Youth Centre. (Boka means future in one of the African languages.) In the group were youth who had been in jail, in trouble with the law, or who seemed headed that way.

“I was incredibly impressed with the positive approach of the people,” Jacobson said. “They have every reason to feel hopeless because of the problems stemming from apartheid.

“Roy and I were impressed and moved by the positive determination, energy and the incredible caring of the people who run the Bokamoso program and an organization called People Against Abuse. There is this feeling that it’s not hopeless. One other thing I was moved by was the willingness of people to help.”

To develop the play, Barber and Jacobson interviewed more than 50 people — men and women, boys and girls of different ages; married, single and divorced; educated and not well educated — in an effort to represent the wide spectrum of South Africans.

“We tried not to have any expectations,” she explained. “We were so inspired by what we found, we actually did develop a presentation piece. Our greatest fear was that we two from America would be seen as though we were telling them their problems.”

Jacobson continued, “Through the play, they were able to come to greater understanding of the problems, seeing them acted out. People recognized themselves.”

During their collaboration Barber and Jacobson stayed at the Tumelong guest house, which means place of faith. According to Jacobson, the women working there had been victims of domestic violence and were getting jobs to help them earn money so they could help their families. Jacobson recalls that one of the women had written out her story of abuse, and while initially reluctant to recount the story, she felt it should be heard. “It was so beautiful, the way she opened up,” Jacobson said.

The woman granted Jacobson and Barber permission to use it in the presentation, hoping that it might help others better understand domestic violence.

There were two performances of the play for the youth and some of the leaders of the township, followed by discussions just before the pair left. “Our hope is that the youth would tour around in Africa with this play and the AIDS play,” Jacobson said.

The departments of theatre and dance, music and women’s studies hope to bring about 10 of the youth and six leaders from Africa to campus this January to present the play “Family Portraits” and the AIDS play in the Marvin Center. A further goal would be to present the two plays in South Africa at the Graham’s Town Arts Festival in July (said to be similar to the Edinburgh Festival though on a smaller scale).

Of the whole Winterveldt experience, Jacobson said, “I’d like to go again.”

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu