Alexander Upstairs Presents Estelle Terblanche Play #ACTORSLIFE

#ACTORSLIFE, a 70-minute drama written and performed by Estelle Terblanche, with direction by Tauriq Jenkins, will play the Alexander Upstairs this September. The play aims to explore the complex relationship that an individual's body and voice have in an industry that commodifies the female form, swinging between celebration and objectification and is anchored by a metaphysical bent on the inner workings of a female actor in a society characterised by pervasive misogyny.

Christine is an actor, one of many in the industry. She is made up of many parts. She plays many parts, part broken, part happy but for the most part, courageous. Her work traverses the biography of self and other that speak deeply to the humanity, integrity, and complexity of an actor's life.

In writing the play, Terblanche has used a mixture of her own experiences, those of her friends, and stories she has heard to inspire the script. She uses this enormous library to draw on in her interpretation of Christine. As a male member of this industry and someone who is very aware of the similarities and differences between male and female struggles within this society, Jenkins strives to bring an informed view of the complexities that not only make this career choice so difficult but also compels actors to keep working and hoping.

#ACTORSLIFE runs at the Alexander Upstairs from 7 - 9 September at 21:00 nightly, with a 15:00 matinee on Saturday. Tickets are available from the Alexander Bar website, with seats costing R70 if booked and prepaid online or R85 if paid on collection at the bar. For telephone enquiries, call 021 300 1652. The Alexander Bar, Café and Theatre is situated at 76 Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

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