Frederick Philander
16 May 2008
Windhoek — Theatre history is to be made next Wednesday with a special performance of the Aids puppet-play, The Trumpet Player, at the National Council.
The invitation to have the play performed for MPs was extended to and accepted by the chairperson of the National Council, Asser Kapere.
"Because of the educational and curbing effect and value of the play among the Namibian youth, we have thought it wise to stage it to the supreme political leaders of the country," said Richard Swartz, one of the two main actors in the stage production. The stage work has already been performed successfully before more than 20000 learners and students at selected secondary and primary schools as well as some tertiary education institutions in the country.
"The creation of the play and the partial performance thereof was made possible with finances from the Finnish Embassy and Bank Windhoek. As from Wednesday to Friday the production funding will be running out. Hence this effort to put up the play at the National Council to lobby the political leaders for further funding," said Swartz.
According to Swartz the play, promoting abstinence among the Namibian youth, is planned to be staged at all 1500 government and private schools in the country, finances permitting.
"Taking into account last year alone more than 16000 new cases of Aids infection among the youth have been identified among the purported 200000 victims already in the country. Pragmatic efforts to help curb the devastating effects of the dreaded disease are needed and in our opinion The Trumpet Player offers one such effort," he said.
Senior United Nation's officials of UNESCO and UNICEF have also been invited to the special performance of the play at the National Council next week.
"Negotiations for funding to technically improve the quality of the play are progressing well with between us and the American Cultural Center for more performances at schools in the capital and further afield," Swartz, who announced the programme for next week's performances, said.
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