Kafka's Ape is a 2015 stage adaptation by Phala O. Phala of Franz Kafka's short story "A Report to an Academy". The play with solo actor Tony Bonani Miyambo was featured at the 2015 South Africa National Arts Festival where it won the Silver Ovation Award.[1] The play has since won more awards and critical acclaim,[2][3] including the Humanities and Social Sciences 2018 Awards for Best Public Performance.[4]
Social significance
editKafka's Ape stands out from other adaptations of "A Report to an Academy" in that Tony Miyambo it is only the second black actor to play the role of the Ape, Red Peter,[5][6] a trait that on its own can conjure uncomfortable and important historical and political connotations.[6][7] These connotations coupled with the current and historical context of South Africa's history of Apartheid and active xenophobia[3] have led the significance to extend beyond Kafka's original allegories of Jewish diaspora into one about the differences between us all, the struggle to fit in, and the concept of freedom. Miyambo describes his analysis of the plays importance in an interview with POWER 98.7 by saying,
"This ape speaks about xenophobia, about homophobia, how one is uncomfortable in their own skin. He is a performing ape, but he is not performing because he wants to, he speaks about this as a way out. He wonders what true freedom is, we are all fighting for our freedom....There is only one other black man who has played this role, Sello Maake ka-Ncube. It is an uncomfortable thought for many people – a black man playing an ape. But this is about just that – the play is an allegorical observation of South African society through the eyes of others. Kafka’s Ape presents a conflicting point of view in which traditional boundaries, categories and norms are questioned, in which beauty, harmony and symmetry are usurped by cruelty, dissonance and abnormality. It highlights the complexities of identity in post-apartheid South Africa and the human race in general."[6]
Staging
editOriginal design has been accredited to Liesel Retief[8] who uses a minimalist set and prop list allowing the focus to be on the acting and aiming to leave the audience with a sense of the emptiness communicated in the play.[5][9]
Tours
editSince its debut in 2015, Kafka's Ape has toured across South Africa[3][4] and went to Chicago in February of 2018.[5] In 2019 it will be going on tour internationally including Europe and the States.[3][10]
A reviewer for WeekendSpecial said, "This performance deserves full houses and long runs wherever it goes".[2]
References
edit- ^ "Creative excellence rewarded at National Arts Festival 2015". National Arts Festival. 12 July 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b Furniss, Megan (19 March 2017). "Review: 'Kafka's Ape' is superb". WeekendSpecial. Retrieved 2019-06-06.
- ^ a b c d "Kafka's Ape tours locally and abroad". Artslink. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b "HSS Awards 2018 Winners". National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Kafka's Ape Is A Window Into The Sunken Place". The Daily Vox. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "In conversation with Tony Miyambo – Kafka's Ape". POWER 98.7. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ Rundle, Erika (2009). ""The Monkey Problem": Notes on Staging "The Ape"". The Eugene O'Neill Review. 31: 122–149. ISSN 1040-9483. JSTOR 29784877.
- ^ "boxoffice | POPArt: Theatre | Production Company | Performing Arts Centre". Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ Laubscher, Martin (4 July 2015). "Quick review: Kafka's Ape". Cue. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Tony Miyambo On Tour". The Centre for Humanities Research. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.