The true story of growing up with a deep wound and hiding from your own reflection, to painting all the pieces back together and discovering the treasure within, through art. Go on a transformational journey from Egypt to Rome, from Rome to Romanticism, from Romanticism to Modern Art. Looking at the development of the child, combining art and drama with a touch of song and dance, come and witness this 'art in growing up’, and see how a young woman makes peace with her physical and emotional scars and learns through art history and her own life experience.

"Art is important for it commemorates a special or tragic event in ones own life journey - Clarissa Pinkola Based on a process art course done at the ‘AfterImage’ studio in Stellenbosch. This local story is told in a creative way. This is something you have not seen before and this is a story you have not heard before. It is about dealing with loss as a young individual, the effect of that growing up, the challenges in stages of development and about reconnecting with the playfulness, the fun, the lightness and the wonder of being a child. A one woman play that is written to show the value of the developing child and the power of combining that with memory and art.
Written and performed by Shelani van Niekerk Shelani started her creative journey when she was very young and made up dances and sang songs with her cousins for her family’s entertainment. In her teens she performed in numerous dances and plays in youth. She studied at the Waterfront Theatre college for 4 years majoring in drama and musical theatre and graduating with LT practical in her majors, as well as advanced tap and gold jazz. She taught Drama in Stellenbosch Waldorf High School from June 2013 to November 2016, directing Shakespeare, teaching grade 8 to 12 drama, directing Grade 12 plays and preparing students for their University auditions. It was during these 3 and a half years that Shelani would rediscover her passion for performing, something she lost after College. She discovered a few more passions, one of which is writing. Following her inspiration, she out her courage to the test and wrote. This year she has been performing her children’s show called ‘Reece’ at primary schools and has now joined Assitej : Theatre for Children and Young people to take her show to more schools and provinces. She has also been writing and developing ‘Scars: The art in growing up’. She launched a Healing Scars page on Facebook in June 2017. This page is directly connected with the play and a part of a bigger dream and aim. As she told Radio Helderberg during her woman’s month interview, she aims to empower and encourage women to also share their stories and find the treasures within. “I am following my dreams.” She says. “ As an artist and human being I believe 'my work' is to find the treasure. Then to engage my will and share those treasures through my own art. This is my play and my story. As we know, every story and play has a aim or a desired effect that the writer aims to have on his/her audience. My aim is to show the value of the developing child and the power of combining that with memory and art. To show the power of finding treasures within yourself, finding your own value and accepting your scars.”

Audience Responses

It was gripping and inspiring!!!

I wrote this on FB about the play ... Scars is a true story, of a young woman, presented through her playful and emotional memories, about the effect that a tragically heart-breaking event has had on her experience of her life. Her view of the history of art creates a way to enter into a transformation about how she relates to the world again. It's a very artistic and relevant work, told captivatingly. Immediately, I considered her quiet, yet dramatic entrance... This went through my mind .. "should i have? What was i supposed to do there? We're in a small theatre. Are we going to take part?" .. but .. This set the tone for me for the rest of the play .. because the line that followed next was equally hard hitting ... When you meet someone, how authentic and sincere and more importantly, kind and compassionate are you? Do you ask a ridiculous question that minimizes the acknowledgement of an entire life of another person and establish your own space as the only one that is important at that space and time? .. look .. thoughts travel quickly and, yes, this did in fact all come to mind .. What follows is the telling of the tale that flows in a way that i wanted to continue to figure out what her movements and words all meant. I found myself listening intently to the story, and, watching it unfold too as i learned much more of who the story teller was and all about her experiences growing up. The story flows, just like life, and then dramatic events, told poignantly, movingly, suddenly, escape into one's unexpected senses of an enfolding life. The story is true, and i felt that the audience identified with that specific and traumatic event very deeply, engaging even more with the completed story. Storytelling is refreshed again here as an art form and I enjoyed the play. As in galleries of works of contemporary and master artists, I could draw on my own senses and experiences of the story of events that could possibly linger in your mind for the days ahead. The teller makes use of minimal objects that engages artful creative meanings which everyone would always be open to. This play is at the Alexander bar, in Cape Town. A relaxed and easy going, charming, eclectic venue. Go see it!