PEOPLE

PLAYHOUSE GOOD NEWS

The Playhouse Company's CEO, Johann Zietsman, has been elected to the board of the International Society for the Per-forming Arts (ISPA) as Africa's first ISPA representative since the organi-sation's inception in 1948.

The only international performing arts body recognised by both UNESCO and the United Nations, ISPA aims to develop, nurture, energise and educate an international network of arts leaders and professionals who are dedicated to ad-vancing the field of the performing arts.

The organisation currently boasts some 700 members in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The Playhouse Company is also cele-brating the election of Bongani Tembe, director of the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, to South Africa's first National Arts Council.

SOUTHERN LIFE PLEDGE

Southern Life has pledged R130 000 for the 1997 Playhouse Company Women's Arts Festival scheduled to take place at the Playhouse from August 7 to 10.

Applications close at the end of March. Contact Gita Pather on 369-9555.

WOMEN'S TAPESTRY

London's Victoria and Albert Museum's South Asian Arts Education initiative results in an exhibition this summer which features panels from over 5 000 women from around the world.

The only representation from Africa comes from a group of women fabric artists, all three from Pietermaritzburg.

Dr Gita Suparsad, librarian Shano Suparsad, women's activist Naseema Ballima and skilled craftswoman, Brenda Vather worked with Kobus Moolman, the education officer of the Tatham Art Gallery and Linda Ireland who is the assistant cultural historian of the Natal Museum to produce a magnificent tapes-try rich in colour and detail.

Woven into the tapestry are descriptive images of the history of the Indian people in South Africa. It's a cross-cultural piece featuring traditional Indian embroidery as well as African beads.

SUCCESSFUL

The project has resulted from a highly successful outreach programme between the Tatham, the Natal Museum and the Midlands Museums Forum Community Support Group.

"We don't have much of an Indian col-lection but now we can redress these im-balances," says Kobus Moolman. "We're really hoping this travelling exhibition will come to Pietermaritzburg."

MARCEL WORMS

Dutch pianist Marcel Worms comes to South Africa at the end of March to play in the Klein Karoo Festival and perform programmes around the country.

These programmes will include Mondriaan and the music of his time as well as music written for Worms by Jean Wiener.

Watch the daily press for details.

IN MEMORIUM

Last month an incredibly talented actress decided to take her own life and leave radio listeners the poorer for her going.

Radio actress Maureen Adair, well-known for her inimitable performances in the Tom Meehan radio comedies The Men from the Ministry and Father, Dear Father, among numerous others, was suffering from the death of her husband, Haydn Bradfield, and what is believed to have been a terminal illness.

WEST END

From her early days on London's West End, Maureen's entire working life was spent as a professional actress. Marriage to singer Harold Lake brought her to South Africa where she began working in radio and eventually became a household name on Radio South Africa and Spring-bok Radio, receiving an Artes awards in the process. Her range of accents and characters was formidable and she was equally at home in drama or comedy.

Her stage appearances in Durban inclu-ded The Terry Lester Laugh In, Under Milkwood and Theatre by Candlelight. She also played a major role in the television series, Winchester.

Life dealt Maureen many cruel blows - the deaths of four husbands, a five-way bypass heart operation and a vicious attack in her home where she was held captive for over four hours. Yet she always seemed to survive and remain the bubbly fun person her friends and fans came to love.

JOHN RANDALL

Another theatre personality to take his own life was John Randall, well-known to performing artistes in his stage manager position at the Playhouse.

We must respect their decisions to leave and mourn the talent we have lost.