Munsieville kids perform their hearts out
A theatre group in Munsieville is keeping children out of trouble and giving them the opportunity to make it in the theatre and film world.
It all started with a public talent competition at the Rant-en-Dal Prisma church some years ago. A few kids with their instructor came together to form a small theatre group. They impressed the judges with their very own play and, in the end, won the competition and walked away with R5 000 to help them start something of their own.
That day they decided it was time for Munsieville to have its own drama and culture group, with weekly gatherings. They named the ragtag group Black Child Theatre and Film Productions.
On Thursday, 20 June the group gathered at a public recreation building in Munsieville. As the last handful were arriving, a few groups formed, chatting, playing games or competing in a flash game of soccer. It was obvious that the young throng really enjoyed this opportunity to have a safe social gathering. Before rehearsals started, two groups took to the centre of the room to perform. The first was a lively dance performance the group was still busy perfecting, and the second was an emotional rendition of a short play about a young man who had cheated on his girlfriend.
This wasn’t just a simple get-together to play at being stage actors, though. Over the past couple of years they have won multiple competitions and received a few awards. Among others, they won the South African Naledi Award for Best Community Theatre. Some of the members even had the opportunity to take on small roles in television shows. Thapelo Mooki starred in a telenovela named The Scam. Daniel Ncube, on the other hand, now works as an assistant director on another television show currently being produced.
The leader of the group and mentor to the children is Thembeni Joni, who also works as a facilitator for the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. Under his guidance the group has grown to nearly 30 members, even taking some kids from the streets and helping them stay out of trouble.
“The way life is these days – there are no jobs, and their lifestyles are smoking dagga or doing crime. This keeps them away from it, and helps to create a job opportunity and identify talent,” Thembeni said.
