Crawford alumnus dazzles in the Big Apple
LONEHILL – From winning local and international awards in drama, local resident Refilwe Maitisa is ready to take the world by storm.
A Lonehill resident has done her country proud after graduating in the United States.
Refilwe Maitisa (24) is a singer, actress and model, currently living in Lonehill while auditioning for roles locally and in the United States.
Maitisa said she has always loved performing and helping people. “The performing arts have the ability to encourage, heal, build bridges, lighten heavy moods, impart knowledge and bring people together, all while entertaining people. Art can change the trajectory of one’s life. I wanted to be part of something like that,” she said.
According to a press release by her sister, Dineo Serote, Maitisa matriculated with six distinctions from Crawford International Lonehill in 2015, then went to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where she obtained her associate’s degree in drama before she transferred to New York.
Last year, Maitisa graduated summa cum laude from New York University Tisch School of Fine Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drama, with a minor in the business of entertainment, media and technology.
She has won multiple awards, such as the Drama Banner Bearer award given to the top student in leadership and academics at Tisch Drama, and was nominated for the Princess Grace Award last year, an award that recognises emerging talent in the US. She has also featured in the South African movie called Zulu Wedding.
While she has achieved accolades, the journey was not easy as, Maitisa said, she has had to work harder as a black woman.
She shared one of the challenges she faced while away from home. “Being in the US when Covid-19 hit was a unique challenge. Having to leave university residences with no place to stay at the same time that South Africa’s borders were close in 2020 was tough. At the time New York was the epicentre of Covid-19,” she said.
Nathan Flower, the associate chair of the Drama Department at the Tisch School of the Arts said, “It is clear that Refilwe has exemplified the artistic, collaborative and community values and ideals that our drama community strives to practice.”
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