Finding Rosetta – a spellbinding, mind-breaking stage production
Finding Rosetta is a one-woman play loosely based on a book about a South African woman impregnated by an alien.
Sandton’s own Theatre-on-the-Square has presented yet another out-of-this-world theatre production – Finding Rosetta opened at the local theatre on September 12, and closed at the weekend of September 30.
It is a one-person play that follows an ageing artist’s journey to rediscovering her personal sense of self and agency. Rose, the primary character, reflects on the esoteric insights she realises throughout the production. In the play, Rose leaves her husband in Johannesburg after a violent altercation She embarks on an impromptu trip to the Midlands of KZN, where her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
A Good Samaritan passing by saves her, and arranges transportation for Rose and her car to the nearest town: Rosetta – Rose’s childhood home. Once in Rosetta, Rose experiences a series of synchronicities which spark off her adventure in her childhood hometown.
First, she bumps into her childhood best friend Felicity, who accommodates Rose at her home while her car is being repaired. The second is Felicity returning Rose’s childhood diary to her, which leads to the most important synchronicity – Rose discovered a book titled Beyond the Light Barrier, written by Elizabeth Klarer.
Through this text, Rose is driven into an introspective pursuit of insights. The climatic point in the production is when Rose spends a night beneath the stars accompanied by a Sangoma – whose quest, viewers realise, is simply to lead Rose to Flying Saucer Hill, where Elizabeth Klarer (in the book) first meets her intergalactic lover from another planet. There, Rose experiences what can only be described as a moment of enlightenment and atonement.
Finding Rosetta was written by Paul Slabolepszy, directed by William le Cordeur, and stars the hyper-realistic Annie Robinson-Grealy. According to Slabolepszy, the play came about after Robinson-Grealy and Le Cordeur reached out to him about wanting to do a play based on Klarer’s book, Beyond the Light Barrier.
“They did interviews all over KZN, in the Midlands, and they came to me and [asked if] I would write a play for them,” said Slabolepszy.
“This was still five years ago; it was before Covid. I did research on this character and got fascinated, and then I wrote the play.”
Slabolepszy said the play opened its first run at the Hilton Arts Festival in August prior to opening at Theatre-on-the-Square.
“We did two performances in Hilton, and then we came here. It’s all we’ve done. We’re going to tour the rest of the country after this.
“It looks like we’re going to, maybe, go to Durban – to The Playhouse, we’re hoping. Then, also, Cape Town – to the Baxter.”
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/333743/roy-horovitzs-touching-monodrama-at-theatre-on-the-square/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/327696/a-must-watch-at-the-theatre-on-the-square/
