Document

U-John Kani owaba ngumdlali wasesiteji ongusaziwayo

Ndivhuho Mutsila

Vusi Malindi

——

Lena yindaba kaBonisile John Kani.

Wazalwa ngonyaka we-1943 endaweni yase-New Brighton edolobheni laseGqeberha. Uthando lwakhe lokudlala esiteji nokuxoxa izindaba lwaqala esemncane.

Lo mfana waseMpumalanga-Kapa wadlondlobala waba umdlali wasesiteji, umbhali kanye nomqondisi wemidlalo odume umhlaba wonke.

Ugogo wakhe nguyena owaqala ukumxoxela izindaba.

Wayemxoxela izinganekwane futhi emfundisa nokuthi izindaba zixoxwa kanjani.

Njalo kusihlwa ngaphambi kokuba balale, ugogo wayexoxela uJohn izindaba.

Kwakuyizindaba ezesabisayo, ezinye zixoxa ngabathakathi abanamazinyo amade nezinzipho ezinde.

Ngelinye ilanga ugogo wacela u-John ukuthi kube nguyena omxoxela indaba.

Wayiqala indaba yakhe u-John wathi, “Kwakukhona ugogo owayethanda njalo ukuthi izingane zimxoxele izindaba!”

U-John wayekuthakasela ukuxoxa izindaba. Waqala nokudlala emidlaweni yasesiteji esikoleni.

Umdlalo wasesiteji indaba elingiswa abadlali.

Abadlali basesiteji bangashintsha amazwi abo ngesikhathi belingisa ukuba omunye umuntu. Badlala balingise zonke izinhlobo zabalingisi emidlalweni noma kumafilimu.

Ngesikhathi esemncane uJohn wayebuka amafilimu nabangane bakhe ababengaluqondi kahle ulimi lwesiNgisi.

Wayebahumushela abangane bakhe okukhulunywa ngesiNgisi azenze abalingisi abahlukene.

Wathi angaqeda izifundo zakhe esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, wahamba wayosebenza embonini.

Wajoyina amaqembu abadlali basesiteji ababesebenza kweminye imisebenzi. Iningi labo kwakungabadlali basesiteji abaNsundu.

U-John wake wathi, “Sasingebona nje kuphela abadlali bomdlalo.

Sasingamasotsha esiteji.

Sasisebenzisa ubuciko ukukhuluma kuzwakale ngezinto ezingalungile.”

Ngaleso sikhathi u-John waba ngumngane omkhulu womdlali u-Winston Ntshona. Baqala ukuqamba imidlalo yasesiteji ngokusebenzisana.

Babeseqenjini labadlali ababezibiza ngokuthi i-Serpent Players, izinyoka phela.

Umdlalo waleli qembu wokuqala bawudlalela endaweni eyayakhelwe izinyoka eZu yaseGqeberha.

Yingakho nje babezibiza ngokuthi bangama Serpent Players.

Iqembu labadlali basesiteji i-Serpent Players lalihlelwa ngu-Athol Fugard, omunye ongumdlali wasesiteji nombhali wezincwadi.

U-Athol, u-John no-Winston basebenza ndawonye ukuqamba imidlalo yasesiteji emibili eyavelela ngasekuqaleni kweminyaka ye-1970.

Le midlalo yayixoxa ngemiphumela yobandlululo kubantu abaNsundu.

Le midlalo yilena, i-Sizwe Banzi is Dead nalona othi The Island.

Umdlalo obizwa ngokuthi Sizwe Banzi is Dead uxoxa ngemithetho yamapasi, lapho abantu abaNsundu kwakufanele bahambe bephethe incwajana kamazisi ebizwa ngepasi.

USizwe Banzi okuxoxwa ngaye, ngeke akwazi ukuthola umsebenzi ngoba akanikeziwe imvume yokusebenza epasini lakhe.

Lona othi The Island uxoxa ngamadoda amabili aboshwe e-Robben Island okuyijele elidumile okuboshwa kulo iziboshwa zepolitiki.

Ngonyaka we-1975 edolobheni lase-New York eMelika, uJohn noWinston bazuza indondo i-Tony Awards ngale midlalo yabo emibili, i-Sizwe Banzi is Dead ne-The Island.

I-Tony Award indondo ebaluleke kakhulu emhlabeni wonke jikelele futhi izuzwa kuphela abadlali abadlala ngokuvelele esiteji.

(Imidlalo idlalelwa esiteji.)

U-John waqala ukusebenza nomqondisi wemidlalo yasesiteji u-Barney Simon.

U-John ehlangene no-Barney basungula indawo yokuqeqesha amakhono asesiteji i-Market Theatre Laboratory, eyingxenye yendawo okudlalelwa kuyo imidlalo yasesiteji eseGoli i-Market Theatre.

Le ndawo iqeqesha abantu abafuna ukusebenza esiteji ikakhulukazi abadlali.

Ngonyaka wezi-2014 igama lale ndawo lashintshwa laba i-John Kani Theatre, ukuhlonipha yena u-John Kani.

Ngonyaka wezi-2002 uJohn wabhala umdlalo wakhe wasesiteji wokuqala eyedwa. Ubizwa ngokuthi Nothing but the Truth kanti uxoxa ngesimo seNingizimu Afrika emva kombuso wobandlululo.

Eminyakeni eminingi uJohn usedlale emidlalweni enhlobonhlobo, kubalwa kuyo i-Othelo ebhalwe ngu-William Shakespeare, ne-Miss Julie ka-August Strindberg.

Waphinde wadlala nesemidlalweni yeTV ewuchungechunge nakumafilimu. Ngonyaka wezi-2016 wadlala indawo ka King-T’Chaka of Wakanda kufilimu i-Captain America: Civil War.

Eminyakeni emibili emva kwalokho waphinde wadlala indawo ka King of Wakanda kufilimu i-Black Panther.

U-John wenza ulimi lwesiXhosa kube wulimi lwaseWakanda.

Ngonyaka wezi-2005 uhulumeni waseNingizimu Afrika wamhlonipha ngokumklomelisa ngendondo eyaziwa nge The Order of Ikhamanga.

Le ndondo inikezwa umuntu ovelele emkhakheni wokuqamba njengemidlalo yasesiteji, imibhalo, umculo kanye nobuntatheli.

Kuze kube namhlanje, u-John usengumbhali, umdlali wasesiteji futhi usavelele kumhlaba wasesiteji.

——Nakhu u-John akusho ngezinto asezizuzile:

“Imidlalo yasesiteji, ukubhala nokuba ngumdlali kwenza ukuthi ngikwazi ukuxhumana nalokho okungaphakathi kimi nasemphefumulweni wami.”
Ucabanga ukuthi uchaza ukuthini ngalokhu? Xoxa ngakho nabanye.

——Imibuzo

Ngubani owafundisa uJohn ukuxoxa izindaba? Kungani usho njalo?
Chaza ukuthi laba bantu benza msebenzi muni emidlalweni yasesiteji: umdlali, umbhali, umqondisi.
Lalisuselwaphi igama labadlali basesiteji elithi, The Serpent Players?
Thola ukuthi likhona yini iqembu lemidlalo yasesiteji emphakathini wakini.
Abalingisi baduma kanjani emsebenzini wabo?
Ithini imibono yakho mayelana nomsebenzi wabalingisi nabaculi?
U-John Kani uthi, “Sasisebenzisa ezobuciko ukumelana nezinto ezingalungile.” Yiziphi izinto ezingalungile okungenzeka ukuthi babemelana nazo?
Kungani ucabanga ukuthi abantu besebenzisa ubuciko ukuze bakhulume ngezinto ezingalungile emphakathini?

——

Le ndaba ibhalwe ngolimi lweTshivenda njengenye yezinsiza zokufunda zeprojekthi yeZenex Ulwazi Lwethu ezibhalwe ngonyaka wezi-2021.

Your attribution should include the following:
Title: U-John Kani owaba ngumdlali wasesiteji ongusaziwayo
Author/s: Ndivhuho Mutsila
Translator/s: Zanele Zuma
Illustrator/s: Vusi Malindi
Assurer/s: Zanele Ndlovu
Language: isiZulu

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