Celebrating the return to live theatre in South Africa, Marcel Puig s extraordinary play
Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by the multi-award-winning Sylvaine Strike, is on at The Baxter Golden s Arrow Studio in Cape Town from 5 to 19 June 2021.
Forty-five years since it was first penned in Spanish,
Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms, examining the power of escapism through the imagination and magnifying the web that it is woven between identity and sexuality.
It has captured the attention of audiences for its romantic drama, political outcry and postmodern style portrayed through its two characters, Molina and Valentin. It was adapted for the stage in 1983. The 1985 film version of the play, starring William Hurt and Raul Julia, also received widespread critical acclaim.
With the hard-hit theatre sector steadily reopening, Sylvaine Strike directs Kiss of the Spider Woman, a play about human connection that taps into the prevailing zeitgeist – humanity’s craving for collective experience.
âKiss of the Spider Womanâ explores issues of identity and sexuality
Share
This Youth Month, the Baxter Theatre is set to host a modern classic, Marcel Puigâs extraordinary play, titled âKiss of the Spider Womanâ with multi-award-winning Sylvaine Strike at the helm as the director.
Originally written in Spanish in 1972 by Puig, translated into English by Allan Baker, âKiss of the Spider Womanâ, has captured the attention of audiences for its romantic drama, political outcry and postmodern style portrayed through its two characters, Molina and Valentin.
In 1983, the play was adapted for the stage.
The production sees Mbulelo Grootboom play the character of Valentin while Wessel Pretorius brings to life the character of Molina in this journey of self-awareness, intrigue, romance, revolution, love and betrayal.
What to expect from the 2021 hybrid Kucheza Afrika Festival
The 2021 Programme of Kucheza Afrika Festival will take place online and at the South African State Theatre (SAST) from 1 to 11 April. This year s programme boasts the dance fraternity s renowned dancers such as Vincent Mantsoe, Lulu Mlangeni, Bailey Snyman, Nicola Haskins, Ignatius van Heerden, Fana Tshabalala, Thulani Chauke, Mdu Nhlapo and more.
Like many other art events across the globe last year, the launch of Kucheza Afrika Festival was postponed due to the life-threatening Covid-19 pandemic. To comply with the pandemic’s health and safety protocols, this year’s festival will be a hybrid of online and live theatre, with selected shows only streaming online while some showcase for both live and virtual audiences.