Farber Plays One. Yaël Farber

enters – as the platform is initially covered with a large industrial sheet of black plastic.

      Along the back of the playing area, upstage and facing the audience, are seven empty, austere-looking chairs, upon which the CHORUS of WOMEN – who will come to hear the testimonies – will sit. The audience is seated in front of and around the performance area, as if incorporated into the testimonies. They are the community that provides the context to this event. Seated amongst audience members are the seven CHORUS members, as well as KLYTEMNESTRA and ELEKTRA.

       prologue

      As the audience wait for the play to begin, an elderly Xhosa woman emerges from the audience, and moves in silence into the performance area. She is dressed with the modesty characteristic of rural women from the Transkei. She has clay on her face and a blanket about her shoulders. She walks over the platform and considers the space. Holding a corner of the plastic sheet which covers the platform – she gently begins to gather it towards her. In the silence, the plastic drags away to reveal a richly-toned, earthen floor. The performance space, now fully visible, has a bleak beauty. In the centre of this earthen floor is the grave. The woman seats herself beside the mound of red soil, picks up her traditional calabash bow and begins the ancient singular sound of the UHADI (Calabash Bow). She sings softly in Xhosa:

      Ho laphalal’igazi.

      [BLOOD HAS BEEN SPILT HERE.]

      One by one, the other WOMEN of the CHORUS rise gently from the audience, and move towards the stage, joining the song. All are dressed simply, with blankets around their shoulders. The last member of the CHORUS is a man in a hat and old suit. They take their places on the chairs upstage and continue singing. KLYTEMNESTRA – a white woman in middle age – rises from the audience, crosses the playing space and takes her place at one of the wooden tables. She is here to testify. ELEKTRA – a young, black woman – follows, and sits at the opposite table. Perpetrator and victim face one another at last. The CHORUS concludes its song. in silence, the UHADI (Calabash Bow) is passed quietly down the line of CHORUS members, and laid on the ground. The silence ensues – lasting almost a minute. Everyone waits without emotion or movement. Finally, KLYTEMNESTRA pulls the live microphone towards her. An ominous sound fills the room, as it scrapes along the wooden table. The neon lights above the tables and CHORUS flicker on. The Hearings have begun.