The Clean Sheet Theatre Mesmerises Audience
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday November 30, 2021 06:00
The imaginary play got the audience’s imagination working around the clock trying to figure out what was really happening. The play had three plots being heaven, earth and womb. The first story line was a conversation between a mother and her unborn daughter whom she called Dikeledi after she and her baby daddy broke up when he chose another woman over her.
Due to distress, she chose to name her daughter Dikele (tears), the name that the unborn child did not approve and pleaded with angel Gabriel to take her life so that her parents could not use her for their fights. The angel told the mother that even before they are born, kids are able to see and feel things happening around them.
The mother resorted to drinking alcohol to relieve her stress but the unborn child whom she decided to change her name from Dikeledi to Rethabile kept giving ultimatum of changing her behaviour or it dies. With the help of the angel she was able to change and save the life of her daughter whom she later gave birth to. The two actresses were tied up with a rope that signified an umbilical cord.
There was also a scene where a young woman pleaded with the community to stop judging her for having many fatherless children, taking them through her life journey where she was raped by a man who broke her virginity until she ended up being used by men who also tossed her around like dirt. Still on the same play, there was a scene where a man used to emotionally abuse his spouse by bringing home different girlfriends home.
There was also a scene of a young woman who told a story of how her father sexually assaulted her when she was still young and innocent. All the scenes were things that the little Rethabile feared to come across if she was to be born but her mother assured her that the government together with non-governmental organisations were working hand in hand in ensuring that they fight GBV against women and girls. After getting that assurance, baby Rethabile decided that she was ready to come and face the world.
The drama came at the right time when Botswana together with other countries are raising awareness against GBV. It successfully put the audience in the shoes of the victims of GBV as they got to experience the pain and shame they go through. Before the brilliant play, there were beautiful poems by Lesego Tito who was ululating (wife), Kopanang Tito (husband) and their son Warona Tito who also calls himself Kunkuru. They blessed the audience with rich Setswana poems.