Actor Sylvaine Strike and fellow cast members discuss the production of "Kiss Of The Spider Woman" at the Baxter Theatre
In January 2022, Marcel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman is set to captivate South African audiences at The Baxter Golden Arrow Studio. Directed by the multi-award winning Sylvaine Strike, this play explores the complexities of identity, oppression, and solidarity, themes that deeply resonate with South Africa’s own history.
The story follows two cellmates, a political prisoner and a gay man, whose interactions delve into the intricacies of their identities and the societal norms they challenge. The play's focus on interdependence and the power of escapism through imagination is particularly relevant in a South African context, where racial segregation, political imprisonment, and the quest for reconciliation have been part of the nation's sociopolitical landscape.
Sylvaine Strike, renowned for her acclaimed productions at The Baxter, including "Endgame", "Curse of the Starving Class", and "Tartuffe", directs "Kiss of the Spider Woman" with a universal approach, making it relevant beyond the prison setting. The plot unfolds as the two cellmates pass their time by remembering and reinventing classics of the silver screen.
Mbulelo Grootboom and Wessel Pretorius, the main actors in this production, portray the characters Valentin and Molina respectively. Grootboom relates to Valentin's character, who hides his soft and sensitive nature behind walls, while Pretorius finds playing Molina liberating due to the character's emotional vulnerability and love for movies, romance, and drama.
The play has captured the attention of audiences for its romantic drama, political outcry, and postmodern style. Originally written in Spanish in 1972 by Puig and translated into English by Allan Baker, it has been adapted for the stage in 1983 and a film version was released in 1985, starring William Hurt and Raul Julia, which also received widespread critical acclaim.
According to Mbulelo Grootboom, people crave escapism because life can often become too much. This sentiment is echoed by Wessel Pretorius, who believes theatre practitioners in South Africa are resilient and audiences miss and crave theatre when it is not available.
As South African theatre evolves to become more resilient and innovative in response to the pandemic, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" offers a powerful and relevant artistic experience for South African audiences. Sylvaine Strike hopes that audiences will be highly entertained, rejoice in the return of live theatre, and develop empathy for the characters' differences. This production promises to be a poignant reflection on the legacy of apartheid-era prisons, political dissent, and LGBTQ+ rights in South Africa.
In the realm of home-and-garden, one might envision a cozy living room where audiences might gather to immerse themselves in the captivating story of "Kiss of the Spider Woman", streaming on their televisions, providing a welcome escape from daily life. As this play delves into themes of lifestyle, especially the complexities of identity and the power of escapism through imagination, it finds a profound resonance not only on the screen but also within the South African home-and-garden context.
