Online Reporter
Laura Maposa
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment hub
RENOWNED actress Charity Dlodlo, 48, has partnered with the Zimbabwe Female Arts Practitioners’ Platform (ZIFAPPA) to host a festival for female thespians, aged between 35 and 50, who are often victims of segregation.
Charity’s age and stature do not hinder her performance.
Now she is spinning through a 55-minute piece, sometimes with two shows running per day, in ‘Once An Actress.’
It is a one-woman show written by Tony Layton, directed by Stanley Mambo and produced by Patience Tawengwa.
In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Charity said her motivation came from witnessing award-winning actress Eunice Tava on stage.
Her theatre debut was in 2009 in a play by American director Giles Ramsey, followed by a series of plays on both the local and international platforms
“Acting is not something I would have considered until I met the late film producer Godwin Mawuru in 2003,” Charity said.
‘’I have been acting for 22 years and when I came across the script, I instantly connected with it.
“The themes of sexual harassment and abuse of power portrayed in the play are, unfortunately, prevalent in our industry and beyond, affecting women everywhere.
“Stanley Mambo, the director, made adaptations to the script to reflect the experiences of actresses in Africa.”
With a career spanning over two decades, her story is one of defying the odds and contradicting the assumption that theatre performance is a young man’s game.
“Mawuru’s daughter was my swimming student and he spotted me for a role in Zimbabwe’s first soap opera, Studio 263.
“Of course, it took a lot of negotiation and convincing.
“It’s funny how I ended up so engrossed in the acting world that I even resigned from coaching.
“Despite facing ageism, a significant disadvantage for women in the industry, l continues to thrive.
“My current production, ‘Once an Actress,’ is a must watch.
“Written by British author Tony Layton and directed by Malawi-based Stanly Mambo, the play is a poignant reflection on memory, resilience, and the cost of silence faced by women in the arts industry.
“When COVID-19 happened, I had to adapt to the use of ICTs as we were on lockdown,” she said.
“It was then that I communicated with Stanly Mambo, and we reached out to Tony Layton to adapt his theatre play. We then edited the script to incorporate my gymnastics skills. It is my hope that more female artists incorporate ICTs in the arts industry.”
