Shakespeare’s work is a universal force‚ even for the forgotten people living on Johannesburg’s streets.
Through it‚ a group of homeless people have found and embraced their calling in theatre — thanks to their teacher Dorothy Ann Gould‚ acting coach of Johannesburg Awakenening Minds (JAM)‚ and drama coach Linda Tshabalala.
The group was founded in 2012 by actress Gould‚ the recipient of 19 Best Actress Awards. Her career has taken her to the United States‚ Europe and the United Kingdom‚ where she has worked since 1989.
“For the last five years that I have worked with them‚ they got to be known as the Homeless Shakespeare Company. I have no children but they are my sons‚” said Gould
The performances have helped “build their confidence”‚ and she chose William Shakespeare because of the powerful and historical influence his work has had on literature and arts.
The group is taking Shakespeare to the streets‚ using his words to tell their personal stories.
Tshabalala said he encouraged them to write poetry‚ short stories and narrate their life story‚ which was all merged to form a theatre play.
"Some people don't really think that people like us can do Shakespeare." Meet the homeless men in South Africa reciting poems on the streets of Johannesburg.
“The play is not meant to mock their pain but to share with the rest of the world a walk in a forgotten person’s life. It saddens me when they admit that crime is their daily bread‚ [that] they are either victims or victimisers‚” Tshabalala said. “I simply want to remind them of who they are and make them aware of why they are where they are today‚ though it’s always a challange.”
The play will take place on June 10‚ at the Ramolao Makhene Theatre (previously called the Market Theatre Laboratory) at 9pm.
Tshabalala has noted frustration and anger in the group‚ especially when they wrote mock letters to President Jacob Zuma.
“ Mr President come and see how we live‚” many of them wrote.
The group began as an acting therapy class in Hillbrow‚ with the intention‚ as Gould writes on her website‚ of letting “individuals feel that they had the right to speak‚ the right to be seen and the right to tell their stories in a city which has been very cruel to them”.
“Classes include vocal training‚ theatre stagecraft and creative writing exercises. The students quickly began finding their voices in the works of William Shakespeare‚” she said.
“Shakespeare speaks about their pain and the plays were huge receptacles that could hold all the emotions that they needed to release: the rage‚ the feelings of abandonment. They began to flex again their intellectual muscle‚ to debate‚ have opinions and to become a team that support each other and watch each other’s backs‚ not only on the streets but on stage‚” added Gould.
Most of the actors still live on the streets or in shelters‚ but they have found a way to show their inspiration — performing for the public on street corners.
“I don’t have a home today because I did not listen when I was young‚” said Lwazi Mayeki‚ one of the members of the group.” Peer pressure and going with the hype of life led me here.”
Mayeki says he is grateful for the different perspective acting gives him.
“I look at my life and I know that my passion is music. I would love to be a famous DJ — and I have hope that I can achieve it‚” he said cheerfully. “I am tired of guarding cars in the city and living a sad life.”
Some of the actors have moved into other artistic pursuits. Some are painting and selling their works at markets.
Gould said that JAM member Thando Matodlana has been accepted to study at The Market Theatre Laboratory school and Sibusiso Magubane has acted in TV commercials and is auditioning for speaking roles in local and international films being made in Johannesburg.
Donations‚ sponsorships and any small profit from the group’s performances have helped the JAM members slowly re-enter society‚ enabling some to open bank accounts‚ begin hawker businesses and help their families.
“Two churches are involved in feeding them and even though we do not get a lot of sponsorship they eat‚” said Gould.
Gould describes her students as “dedicated and passionate”. The talent and growth they have displayed is “truly inspirational‚ proving that Shakespeare is not for the old‚ stuffy academic types and has a home in Africa”.
She hopes to find them jobs so that they can look after themselves and not become one of the statistics‚ so that people don’t “pass them by and look at them like they are a heap of rubbish”.
Shakespeare gives purpose to the homeless on the mean streets of Jo’burg
Shakespeare’s work is a universal force‚ even for the forgotten people living on Johannesburg’s streets.
Through it‚ a group of homeless people have found and embraced their calling in theatre — thanks to their teacher Dorothy Ann Gould‚ acting coach of Johannesburg Awakenening Minds (JAM)‚ and drama coach Linda Tshabalala.
The group was founded in 2012 by actress Gould‚ the recipient of 19 Best Actress Awards. Her career has taken her to the United States‚ Europe and the United Kingdom‚ where she has worked since 1989.
“For the last five years that I have worked with them‚ they got to be known as the Homeless Shakespeare Company. I have no children but they are my sons‚” said Gould
The performances have helped “build their confidence”‚ and she chose William Shakespeare because of the powerful and historical influence his work has had on literature and arts.
The group is taking Shakespeare to the streets‚ using his words to tell their personal stories.
Tshabalala said he encouraged them to write poetry‚ short stories and narrate their life story‚ which was all merged to form a theatre play.
“The play is not meant to mock their pain but to share with the rest of the world a walk in a forgotten person’s life. It saddens me when they admit that crime is their daily bread‚ [that] they are either victims or victimisers‚” Tshabalala said. “I simply want to remind them of who they are and make them aware of why they are where they are today‚ though it’s always a challange.”
The play will take place on June 10‚ at the Ramolao Makhene Theatre (previously called the Market Theatre Laboratory) at 9pm.
Tshabalala has noted frustration and anger in the group‚ especially when they wrote mock letters to President Jacob Zuma.
“ Mr President come and see how we live‚” many of them wrote.
The group began as an acting therapy class in Hillbrow‚ with the intention‚ as Gould writes on her website‚ of letting “individuals feel that they had the right to speak‚ the right to be seen and the right to tell their stories in a city which has been very cruel to them”.
“Classes include vocal training‚ theatre stagecraft and creative writing exercises. The students quickly began finding their voices in the works of William Shakespeare‚” she said.
“Shakespeare speaks about their pain and the plays were huge receptacles that could hold all the emotions that they needed to release: the rage‚ the feelings of abandonment. They began to flex again their intellectual muscle‚ to debate‚ have opinions and to become a team that support each other and watch each other’s backs‚ not only on the streets but on stage‚” added Gould.
Most of the actors still live on the streets or in shelters‚ but they have found a way to show their inspiration — performing for the public on street corners.
“I don’t have a home today because I did not listen when I was young‚” said Lwazi Mayeki‚ one of the members of the group.” Peer pressure and going with the hype of life led me here.”
Mayeki says he is grateful for the different perspective acting gives him.
“I look at my life and I know that my passion is music. I would love to be a famous DJ — and I have hope that I can achieve it‚” he said cheerfully. “I am tired of guarding cars in the city and living a sad life.”
Some of the actors have moved into other artistic pursuits. Some are painting and selling their works at markets.
Gould said that JAM member Thando Matodlana has been accepted to study at The Market Theatre Laboratory school and Sibusiso Magubane has acted in TV commercials and is auditioning for speaking roles in local and international films being made in Johannesburg.
Donations‚ sponsorships and any small profit from the group’s performances have helped the JAM members slowly re-enter society‚ enabling some to open bank accounts‚ begin hawker businesses and help their families.
“Two churches are involved in feeding them and even though we do not get a lot of sponsorship they eat‚” said Gould.
Gould describes her students as “dedicated and passionate”. The talent and growth they have displayed is “truly inspirational‚ proving that Shakespeare is not for the old‚ stuffy academic types and has a home in Africa”.
She hopes to find them jobs so that they can look after themselves and not become one of the statistics‚ so that people don’t “pass them by and look at them like they are a heap of rubbish”.
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