Youth tackle social issues with a play

SESHEGO – MATORA House, a state-of-the-art production complex in Seshego zone 4, came alive on Saturday as artistic performers sweated despite the winter chill during the rehearsal of the play, Our Cry.

The youthful actors were fine-tuning their performances ahead of the eagerly-awaited opening of the play, which will be staged at Honey Moon Lodge in Seshego this weekend.

The rehearsal was conducted under the watchful eye of legendary playwright, Mahuma Paul Rapetsoa, who wrote and directed the play.

“We are doing the final touches ahead of the weekend event. At the moment, we are on the right track, but some of these actors still need to polish their moves,” Rapetsoa remarked.

Our Cry is a reflection of dysfunctional family units in which young people are subjected to social atrocities at the hands of their blood relatives.

In the play, a young woman bemoans that her prospects of ever achieving a career were ruined because she killed her own father.

The distraught girl says she killed her abusive father because he always bludgeoned her mother severely in a domestic violence-riddled household.

Another girl reveals she is pregnant and HIV positive after she was repeatedly raped by her biological uncle at home.

Our Cry also highlights detrimental effects the abusive home atmosphere can have on the education of children from such families as they find it difficult to concentrate in class.

The cast features among other promising actors, Omphile Rapatji (10) and Mahalatse Moropo (11).

As it is Youth Month, Rapetsoa said he would unleash young people’s talents while giving them the limelight he reckoned they deserved.

“It always thrills me to see young people channel their energies into acting as it gives them the basic confidence to face whatever careers they would choose as adults” said Rapetsoa.