Performing Christ : a South African protest play and the theological dramatic theory of Hans Urs von Balthasar

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the latter part of the 20th century, against the backdrop of incidents such as the Sharpeville Massacre and the Soweto Uprising, theatre became one of the principal means of 'artisticresistance' in apartheid South Africa. An important play from this time was a work titled WozaAlbert!, which was created and performed by the actor-duo Percy Mtwa and Mbogeni Ngemain 1981, with the help and creative input of the renowned theatre-maker and political activist,Barney Simon. What made this piece of protest theatre so powerful and provocative was thefact that it retold the Christ-narrative, as found in the Gospels, in the context of apartheid SouthAfrica, with Jesus, or Morena (as he is called in Sesotho), arriving at the Pass Office in AlbertStreet, Johannesburg, to preach the Good News to the poor and to liberate the oppressed, whowere suffering under the apartheid regime.This dissertation will aim to provide a theological reading of this important protest play,informed by the theological dramatic theory of the Swiss Catholic theologian, Hans Urs vonBalthasar. It will begin by conducting an investigation into the nature, task, and scope oftheology, before offering an extensive engagement with Balthasar's theological dramatic theory, as developed in his five-volume work, Theo-drama (the second installment of his trilogy on 'beauty', 'goodness', and 'truth'). This will be followed by an exploration of the history of (protest) theatre in South Africa, and a discussion of how Woza Albert! came into being. Balthasar's theological dramatic theory will then be used to give a theological reading of the play.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University