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Gladmore Ncube
NO stranger to the arts industry, Nomatshawekazi Damasane, better known as Lady Tshawe, will be debuting her theatre production titled “6.55” on 15 August.
Lady Tshawe is an award-winning theatre actress, a dancer, author as well as an acclaimed poet who is endeavouring to shine the spotlight on other actors and actresses as she moves behind the scenes as a scriptwriter and director.
Having studied Drama and Ethnomusicology at Rhodes University in South Africa, and performed on the main stage at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Lady Tshawe chose the cream of the crop to be a part of her play. The stage production features a star-studded cast of amazing women such as Musa Sibanda, Nyarie S, Nyika, Monde Black and Sithabile Ndubiwa, and is choreographed by Mehluli “Gomez” Dube.
Lady Tshawe says she wants to bring reality to the stage by “6.55” so that we as Africans change the way we take lightly issues about mental health. Shortly 6.55 is a play that will educate a lot about mental health issues within the society.
“Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.
“Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. So it is a very important thing to look at because many people are affected by it but no one cares to take a deep look into it.
“In the play 6.55 there are many risky styles that I have taken because I want the play to be different in a way that it will create awareness about mental health issues that have broadly affected so many people going unannounced,” said Tshawe.
Tshawe added that she aims for the play to bring up questions that will change the mindset of Africans of always ignoring problems which affect many arousing from mental health issues.
“In the social media youth tend to put #tags about mental health but it ends there, no one attends or reacts about those #tags so here by directing and writing this script am hoping that I will bring change on how serious mental health issues should be taken,” said Tshawe.
Online Reporter