Mission : Heartstone – creating a physical theatre performance by incorporating South African sign language

Thesis (MDram)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sign Language awareness is rapidly increasing throughout the world. One reason for this is the constant attempt to incorporate Sign Language into political, social and cultural spaces. South Africa is quickly joining this cultural and linguistic movement. This arts-based research describes the process of incorporating South African Sign Language (SASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) in the creation process of a Physical Theatre approached performance. The study examines mime, puppetry, object theatre, improvisation and contact improvisation as building blocks within the Physical Theatre process and indicates how a Sign Language can be related to and incorporated in these practises. These practises are discussed in relation to the characters and scenes in the performance creation and production of Mission: Heartstone. The study describes how the all-hearing cast, with no prior knowledge of SASL or BSL, experienced working with this visuospatial language. As part of the research, an alternative style script, mainly focusing on the Sign Language used in the production, is included. The study concludes with the discussion of how, jointly, Physical Theatre and Sign Language can be used as a creative impulse to create theatre.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die bewustheid van Gebaretaal is vining besig om wêreldwyd toe te neem. Een van die redes hiervoor, is die voordurende pogings om Gebaretaal in politiese, sosiale en kulturele ruimtes te gebruik. Suid-Afrika is besig om hierdie kulturele en taalkundige neiging na te volg. Hierdie kunsgebaseerde navorsing poog om te beskryf hoe Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal (SASL) en Britse Gebaretaal (BSL), in die skeppingsproses van ‘n Fisiese Teater benaderde opvoering, opvoering, geïnkorporeer is. Dit ondersoek mimiek, poppespel, objekteater, improvisasie en kontak improvisasie as boustene in die Fisiese Teater proses, en hoe ‘n Gebaretaal mees effektief daarby ingeskakel kan word. Hierdie praktyke word bespreek in verhouding tot die karakters en tonele, in die skep en opvoering van ‘Mission: Heartstone’. Die studie beskryf die ervarings van die horende akteurs, met geen vooraf kennis van SASL of BSL nie, met hierdie visu-ruimtelike taal. As deel van die navorsing is daar ‘n alternatiewe styl geskrif ingesluit, wat hoofsaaklik gemik is op die Gebaretaal in die produksie. Die studie word afgesluit met die bespreking van hoe Fisiese Teater en Gebaretaal gesamentlik, suksesvol gebruik kan word as ‘n kreatiewe impuls om teater te skep.Master