Multikulturele dramas? ’n Voorlopige ondersoek

Abstract

Multicultural plays? A preliminary investigation This article is a preliminary investigation of the possible presence of multiculturalism in an English and in two Afrikaans plays. According to Hauptfleisch and Steadman (1987:3) the workshop production of Cincinatti: Scenes from city life is an example of an English South African multicultural drama. The first part of the article is an attempt to isolate some of the properties that may show the presence of multiculturalism in a play. It is improbable that one would find many Afrikaans plays complying with these requirements. However, an interpretation of the silence of the antagonist in ’n Koffer in die kas (A suitcase in the wardrobe) by Jeanne Goosen points the way to an alternative, sociosemiotic interpretation of multiculturalism. In this regard Guiraud (1975:90-98) refers to sociosemiotic signs that relate to rituals, fashions, protocols and games. These codes are subsequently applied to Don Gxubane onner die Boere (Don Gxubane among the Afrikaners) by Charles Fourie. The greatest part of the article is in fact devoted to a discussion of Don Gxubane. Perhaps the most disturbing finding touches on closure: in the conclusions of Don Gxubane, Cincinatti and ’n Koffer in die kas the reconciliation o f opposites seems unattainable.