‘Race’, Power … and Clowning: The Stellenbosch Cast Reflects

In Chapter 8 Amelda talks with several members of her student cast, almost three years after the 2017 premiere. The students share their perspective on the development process and the effect the show has had upon their subsequent engagements in the arts and politics. They look back on the importance of their collective conversations about ‘race’ and the virtues of clowning as a way to engage with the difficult history of Terezín and their own post-apartheid society. They also reflect on the emotional impact of the final moments of the show, when each stepped forward to describe the fate of the Terezín actor who played their character in the 1943 production.

Keywords: Apartheid, Holocaust ; Clowning ; Workshop Process