THE annual South African Women’s Arts Festival (Sawaf) opened late last week with Julian Seleke Mokoto’s She Died Dreaming.

The play is a poignant look at life and love from the perspective of a career woman looking for romance.

As she and her friends interact, the audience journeys with them on what becomes an expedition hinged on each of the characters’ personal experiences.

The dialogue presents true-to-life and thought-provoking reflections about all that is woman – from the emotional beings we are supposed to be, to looking for love, finding it, losing it to celebrations of it and dealing with the hurt and rejection it can bring.

What is appealing about this play’s content is that it presents love in all of its aspects – the good and the bad – even touching on infidelity in marriage.

On a more socially constructive front, She Died Dreaming is layered with wisdom, some of it biblical. From the importance of com- munication in a marriage to the importance of being spiritually centred, these golden nuggets are found throughout much of the dialogue, particularly in scenes where the central character, Hilda, struggles to make peace with certain aspects of her life.

Kudos to Nomsa Buthelezi, Kelly Khumalo, Zama Ngcobo and Linda Sebezo for their performances and coming to grips with their respective characters.

Balancing the heavy material in the play with loads of comedy moments shared by the friends proved to be entertaining for the audience.

That said, the actresses had spectators close to tears at times – Khumalo’s character’s recalling of an accident and Buthelezi’s scenes in which her character contemplates love were particularly emotional.

She Died Dreaming, through its characters, is not only an expedition through life and love, but a broader exploration of the different aspects of women.

Sawaf continues this week with the highly anticipated Durban debut of Mother to Mother, a powerful play based on the murder of American political activist Amy Biehl in Gugulethu on August 25, 1993, in an act of political mob violence.

Powerhouse actress Thembi Mtshali stars in the play, which is directed by Janice Honeyman. The production runs from tomorrow to August 3. You can read the full details in our Boardwalk theatre listings on page 2.

Another highlight this week, and every year at the festival, is the Open Mic Session, which is free to the public on Saturday at 1pm in the Playhouse Drama theatre.

The two-hour poetry session, in celebration of Women’s Month, will feature Lebo Mashile, Naima McLean, Malika Ndlovu and Sbo Da Poet, among others.

• The full programme for the South African Women’s Arts Festival is available at www.playhousecompany.com.

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