By Sabina Elago
WINDHOEK- Is it comedy? NO! Is it drama? NO! It is The Bare Mask Experience, a double feature showcasing two plays, one act presenting the satirical comedy The Teachers, and the surrealist play, A Journey into the other Side of the Night. Experience a storytelling happening told through space, sound and theatre. The Teachers feature Ms Saunders (Junelle Stroh) and Ms Martin (Mari-Louise Labuschagne) two different drama teachers who do not get along but want the same thing, to save the drama department. Ms Sauder is suspicious and bitter and Ms Martin a naive, excitable and ager new drama teacher. Both teachers are passionate about their work but don’t get along.
Till the school tries shutting down the drama department in the school, which brings them together to protect their jobs and save the drama department that they love the most. Than A Journey into the Other Side of the Night the surrealists play. This play is dark, the Poet (Blessing Mbonambi) sell his soul to the devil and fail to deliver because the Lust (Helouis Goraseb) and Angel (Junelle Stroh) were trying to save him. When the devil comes to take the Poet’s soul, the Lust is there trying to save and show him the brighter side but he does not succeed.
He then leaves a note that says “I think you can be my salvation” and then leaves him in the dark again. Then the Angle visits him trying to fight for him also. She then reads the note that the Lust left him over and over but also does not succeed, she leaves him also and he stays sad. Seating there in the theatre room wondering if the plays is going to get deeper and serious, then the answer pops up faster than you expected and “wake up” it is the end of “The Bare Mask Experience” the blessing in the theatre written and directed by Blessing Mbonambi and those who may have missed it, because it came to a close, one does not know how long they would have to wait until it re-merges. Pic: Beelzebub Caption: Risto Ngambe who plays Beelzebub, the Devil in the play A Journey into the other Side of the Night, the second play in the double feature, “The Bare Mask Experience” which also feature, The Teacher, which came to close at the College of the Art (COTA) Theatre School last week. Picture: Breelzebub