On the road to Broadway The theatre production Twisted is a must-see A love for acting opened doors to theatre that will not be closed anytime soon, at least not for director Donald. Donald Zuleit Matthys is a vibrant, full-of-passion and a bold 21-year-old director - amongst many other things. Donald grew up in the far southern town of Aranos where he completed his high school at Rooiduin. “I am a Capricorn (I believe in the horoscope!). I am a momma’s boy and my mother is my biggest supporter and motivation in all I have achieved,” said the energetic Donald.Donald is very passionate about writing and reading monologues. He has never studied drama/arts but believes he was into this. “I am newcomer to world of theatrics, highly driven by my enthusiasm in performing arts. Creative writing has always been my thing: I enjoy fictional prose, both reading and writing. I have an inexplicable appetite for reading,” he expresses. He’s currently reading a novel called ‘Piggy Boy’s Blues’ by South African writer, Nakhane Toure.
Donald describes himself as a liberal thinker who believes in evolution. Growing up he always wanted to be an actor and he sought for acting opportunities, which unfortunately are very limited in our country. Due to the lack of acting possibilities, he stumbled upon Theatre Zone, which gave him more than he expected. “At 21, Twisted is my first theatre production and definitely not the last. I write on a daily basis, even if it is just one line per day! I am looking forward to writing and directing more theatre plays, especially for schools in remote areas. I feel like small towns around the country are deprived of this great form of art. There are great performers in those areas that are not given a chance to shine,” he tells tjil.
Donald admits that regardless of how the theatre world is, one still needs guidance and mentorship to be able to thrive. “Actor, director and writer Blessing Mbonambi is my inspiration. His enthusiasm for theatre gives me so much more motivation and will to do theatre. I have seen a couple of his productions and can strongly relate to his approach in theatre. He is currently my mentor in Twisted. Sometimes when the directing process gets nerve-wracking, Blessing shows me the fun side of it,” said Donald.
Donald’s Twisted production challenges the political correctness in unfit households through an accumulation of events and 60% of this comes from a personal experience and things he has seen. This family drama tells the story of a woman, Louisa who loses her will to be a mother. In a twisted turn of events, Melissa, a maid who works for a family gave up a lot for her survival. After almost 18 years the lies, deception and betrayal unravel. On the other hand, the son of the family, Robby is faced with sexuality issues while his parents, Tobby and Louisa are faced with their marital problems. The audience can look forward to light comedy and on a serious note, some hard-hitting words to ponder with.
Twisted is family play and is for everybody. “I encourage people who come from or who have seen dysfunctional households to come watch,” he concluded. The act will be premiering on 19 October with a second show on 20 October at NTN Backstage. Tickets are as follows: Adults: N$50, students N$25, senior citizens: N$30. Tickets are available at Computicket and NTN Box Office.
June Shimuoshili