Brown Arts
Houseboy
February 9-10, 2024
THEATER
The East Coast Premiere of William Kentridge's Staged Interpretation of the Novel by Cameroonian Diplomat Ferdinand Oyono.
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Houseboy
February 9-10, 2024
THEATER
The East Coast Premiere of William Kentridge's Staged Interpretation of the Novel by Cameroonian Diplomat Ferdinand Oyono.
Directed by William Kentridge
Text by Ferdinand Oyono
The Lindemann Performing Arts Center
February 9, 2024, 7pm
February 10, 2024, 3pm
120 minutes with no intermission
Both performances include post-show talks with the cast and creative team
Recommended for ages 10 and up
*Ticket proceeds from Brown Arts Institute programming support artistic productions created by the various artistic communities on Brown’s campus and in Providence.
“ A collaborator, a believer in the communal power of art and art-making. ”
About the Play
Developed at The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg, South Africa, and directed by William Kentridge, Houseboy is based on the 1956 novel by Cameroonian diplomat Ferdinand Oyono. Told through the diary of the protagonist Toundi Ondoua, Houseboy makes use of an ensemble cast to explore themes of narrative history, archival memory, and post-colonial identity through the lens of the colonized. A large backdrop produced by Kentridge — palm trees and dense foliage in black — sets the scene, and each character remains present on stage throughout while myriad live percussive sounds from just off stage, both punctuate and set the pace of the narrative.
Play
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Houseboy - Official Trailer
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The cast of Houseboy. Photo by Zivanai Matangi.
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The cast of Houseboy. Photo by Zivanai Matangi.
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The cast of Houseboy. Photo by Zivanai Matangi.
Kicking off Kentridge's Artistic Innovators Residency
February 9—June 16, 2024
THEATER | MULTIMEDIA | VISUAL ART
A semester-long invitation to re-examine complex histories through image and performance
THEATER | MULTIMEDIA | VISUAL ART
A semester-long invitation to re-examine complex histories through image and performance
“ Increasingly, admirably, Kentridge is using his international profile as a platform for collaborations with a host of South African colleagues. ”
Creative Team
TEXT | Ferdinand Oyono
From the work “UNE VIE DE BOY” by Ferdinand OYONO-© Copyright Julliard 1956
DIRECTOR & SET DESIGNER | William Kentridge
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR | Phala Ookeditse Phala
MANAGING PRODUCER | Laurie Cearley
PERFORMERS | Alfred Motlhapi, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Sello Ramolahloane, Katlego Letsholonyane, William Harding, Neil McCarthy, Sue Pam-Grant, Buhle Mazibuko & Sibahle Mangena
MUSICIANS | Micca Manganye & Volley Nchabeleng
CHORUS DIRECTOR | Nhlanhla Mahlangu
ADDITIONAL VOICES | Makudupanyane Senaoana, Anathi Conjwa & Bronwyn Lace
COSTUME DESIGNERS | Greta Goiris, Emmanuelle Erhart & SO Academy Costume Mentees
LIGHTING & PRODUCTION MANAGER | Brandon Boyd
SOUND ENGINEER | Zain Vally
STAGE MANAGERS | Dimakatso Motholo & Mego Williams
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