On the May 17 WBGO Journal...
Host Doug Doyle chats with actors Atandwa Kani and Kelcey Watson, stars of Crossroads Theatre Company's production of Sizwe Banzi is Dead.
Written by Athol Fugard, Dr. John Kani, and Winston Ntshona in 1972, Sizwe Banzi is Dead is a powerful, funny, and deeply moving story about identity, survival, and the extraordinary ingenuity of ordinary people navigating an unjust system. Set during South Africa’s apartheid era, the play follows a man faced with an impossible choice: disappear under the weight of an oppressive system—or reinvent himself in order to survive. What unfolds is a story filled with wit, humanity, and resilience, revealing the profound ways Black people have always found dignity, humor, and hope even in the harshest circumstances.
Atandwa Kani is John Kani's son.
"To have the opportunity to revive Sizwe Banzi is Dead today at the Crossroads Theatre, which is sort of the pioneering theater when it comes to Black stories, is really such an honor. It seems like something that was destined to be."
John Kani and Winston Ntshona won Tony Awards for their roles in the 1975 Broadway production of Sizwe Banzi is Dead.
This Crossroad's production, directed by Ricardo Khan, runs from May 19 to June 14 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
and WBGO's Jon Kalish has the story of activist Oscar Cohen, an activist fighting for adequate school funding in Ramapo, New York...
