Nine by Jane Shepard portrays the story of two womxn who are kidnapped by human traffickers and held hostage as sex slaves in a prostitution house. The two womxn remain nameless throughout the story - only showcasing the stories they tell one another. Their relationship is characterized by hate and competitiveness but ironically, they serve as one another's only life line. They play mind games with each other in order to survive. One of the two womxn tries to get help from a passing police van. The traffickers don't know which one it is, though they have a strong suspicion; resulting in their isolation from the other victims, in a basement.
The production, directed by Gizela Conradie, had been performed last week Monday and Thursday in the Drama Lab of Stellenbosch University. The sold-out shows starred Tayme Philander and Veronique Jephtas, second year BA Drama and Theatre Studies students. We have taken the time to speak to the co-stars about their experience of working on such a gripping project.
Q: What was it like working on this production?
Tayme: It was one of the most hectic plays that I have ever done in my life! When I heard that it is about human trafficking and that it is a really deep piece I wanted to be part of it because it is something that would be challenging and something that I have never done before. I was super excited to do it but it took an awful lot of me! People who do drama know that if you’re a character you should know their ins and outs, their humanity – you should know who they are and what they think which, at times, can become very emotional. If I could turn back time I would still do it because the experience was very helpful.
Veronique: Working on this production was great and really eye-opening because it made me more aware of this danger that is not being heard enough. It not only challenged my acting skills but also my character as a person. I came out stronger and wiser in the end.
Q: What did you learn from this experience?
Tayme: You know, from THIS production I’ve learned an awful lot! We as people read about these stuff in the headlines…we know about it; like for instance the Bring back our girls-movement and now it’s over. Nobody’s thinking about it anymore. So it is just shocking how we can live past it because it is real. Everyday girls get kidnapped, everyday girls get raped… there are girls who will never see their families again. It was tough working through those emotions as a character, meanwhile it is a reality! It’s happening somewhere in the world…even in South Africa, even in Cape Town. Nobody is doing anything about it. So this play informed me about what human trafficking entails. It inspired me to do something about it. It was a huge honour to have told someone’s story.
Veronique: I learned that I, as a human being, cannot stand alone. I need to listen to others. To my fellow actors. I learned that it is extremely important to give over to the role. Especially when you are portraying a role as real as this one. Real women are going through this on a daily basis and it made me more aware of the fact that I need to be more aware of my surroundings and my safety.