ENTERTAINMENT NEWS - On Saturday night, 15 August, the Market Community Theatre staged a touching and heart-warming theatrical piece, Fierce Hope, Quiet Courage, which reflected on life and how the healing of our wounds and scars - whether physical or emotional - can come through others around us.
It was compiled by Heather Stead, the theatre's founder, and performed by her, Sinesipho Buwu and Megan Manewil.
Using monologue, conversation and song, they drew from their own experiences as well as accounts from the book, Kitchen Table Wisdom - Stories That Heal, by Rachel Naomi Remen, to present stories of people's lives hurt and broken by illness, circumstances, accidents or fellow human beings. They are not stories without hope - quite the contrary. In different ways, the endings work out for the good of more people than just the one who hurts. The golden thread throughout these stories is our interdependence, propping up one another till the darkness lifts and we see light again.
Fierce Hope, Quiet Courage is a fitting celebration of the theatre's existence and its far-reaching impact on youngsters' lives who, under Stead's passionate and inspiring guidance, blossom and grow despite limiting circumstances.
Since its inception in 2023, the theatre has grown steadily and has reached some 7 000 children and young people through the performing arts.
Renovation of the historic theatre started in 2021, saving it from gradual destruction by illegal occupants, and it officially opened two years later through donations from the public, as well as some generous sponsorships.
Stead's efforts were recently acknowledged when she received the Paul Harris Award from George Rotary for exceptional local community service.
Buy a brick in the entrance hall
A donation wall in the theatre's entrance hall was recently begun to help raise funds towards its running costs and painting the building outside. Bricks in the wall are sold to individuals for R500 and businesses for R1 000. These are only to be renewed in January 2028, and from then annually.
Willem van der Vyver, president of George Rotary, and Heather Stead with her Paul Harris Award. Photo: Supplied
More performances
A second performance is scheduled at In Toto Retreat in Sedgefield at 15:00 on Sunday 23 August, and it will be staged again at the Market Community Theatre at 18:30 on Friday 28 August. Tickets are available on Webtickets or from Stead on 072 369 3304.
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