Anton Robert Krueger (born 28 September 1971, in Phalaborwa, South Africa) is a South African playwright, poet and

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

. His plays have been staged in South Africa, as well as in England, Wales, Australia, the USA, Monaco, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile. He has published under the pseudonyms of Martin de Porres, Robert Krueger, A.R. Krueger, Perd Booysen (in collaboration with Pravasan Pillay) and Sybrand Baard (in collaboration with Werner Pretorious).

''Sunnyside Sal''

''Sunnyside Sal'' (2010) is a jauntily narrated memoir set in the tumultuous early 1990s, when a whole generation in South Africa were discovering that everything they'd been taught to believe was wrong. Fuelled by his reckless bravado and post-punk philosophy, Sal plunges into extreme situations, but his innocent experiments in rebellion lead him increasingly into hazardous realms. Although ultimately a tragic tale, Sunnyside Sal is borne up throughout by an exuberant humour. "Anton Krueger's emoiris a perceptive look into the world of two young boys whose changing hormones coincide with a country going through its own rebirth." Janet van Eeden. "Light and Dark in mixture of memoir and novel" Review in

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by Jane Rosenthal.

''Experiments in Freedom''

Winner of the 2011 Rhodes Vice-Chancellor's Book Award, ''Experiments in Freedom''

Cambridge Scholars Publishing Cambridge Scholars Publishing (CSP) is an academic book publisher based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge or Cambridge University Press. The company publishes in health science, life scienc ...

examines ways in which identities have been represented in recent South African play texts published in English. It begins by exploring descriptions of identity from various philosophical, psychological and anthropological perspectives and elaborates ways in which drama is uniquely suited to represent – as well as to effect – transformations of identity. In exploring the fraught terrain of identity studies, the book examines a selection of published play texts in terms of five different discourses of identity – gender, nationalism, ethnicity, syncretism and race. Instead of building a sustained thesis throughout his text, Krueger writes in short bursts about a multiplicity of topics, extending his explorations rhizomatically into the crevices of a new South African society loath to relinquish its stranglehold on the politics of identity. (from the blurb). Reviews “Anton Krueger's lucid and sharp interrogation of recent South African play texts should interest far more than the handful of dwindling theatre historians who are still live and well in South Africa...With elegant wit and an almost boyish playfulness that is rare in such academic exercises, Krueger argues that plays can be used not only to describe identity but that theatre is also a place to create identities.” ::(Homann, Greg. 2010. "Stages of Identity". Mail & Guardian. Friday, July 2:19.) “ ll written....maps an important field of research with intellectual rigour and exemplary fair-mindedness, and negotiates a complicated route through a plethora of contentious artistic manifestoes and critical opinions with sophistication and maturity.” ::Prof. Robert Gordon, Goldsmiths College,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...

“ xperiments in Freedomshows Krueger's ability to bring an insightful critical perspective not only towards the play texts that he examines, but to theory itself...The style of writing is lucid and avoids obfuscation, the '(mis)management' of syntax and tortured logic, common to some authors writing in a post modernist vein. This in no way distracts from the complexity of the subject matter or the profound insights that the text offers.” ::Prof. Fred Hagemann, Department of Drama,

University of Pretoria The University of Pretoria ( af, Universiteit van Pretoria, nso, Yunibesithi ya Pretoria) is a multi-campus public university, public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa. The university was ...

“ xperiments in Freedomhas been a pleasure to read...The writing exudes clarity and the arguments are cogently rehearsed... tguides the reader on a journey that is concomitantly innovative, challenging and informative...written eloquently and lucidly – it deserves a valuable place in its field ndshould be a compulsory text in South African and international libraries." ::Prof. Marcia Blumberg,

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,000 faculty and staf ...

, Toronto “The issues xperiments in Freedomaddresses...could not be more relevant or topical...Krueger strikes a pleasing balance between the scholarly and the polemical...His tendentiousness is transparent, bold, even refreshing: it carries the force of his conviction and his experience as a South African and a dramatist in his own right...A further strength is that his style is clear and accessible throughout. He succeeds in being scholarly without resorting to jargon or the kind of stodgy academic writing which one encounters all too frequently.” ::Prof. David Medalie, Department of English,

''Shaggy''

In collaboration with Pravasan Pillay, the Shaggy stories are ironic comedy monologues generally narrated by wingers, whiners, wimps and wankers. A number of stories appeared in ''A Look Away'' magazine during 2010, and six stories were performed at the National Arts Festival in the same year. A collection of 14 Shaggy stories is due for release in mid-2011. Reviews "A comedy and social commentary piece that runs like a pair of freshly laddered stockings… once you're in it, there's no going back!...The show is an all-round success in presentation and script. A funny and entertaining piece of theatre, that is well performed and constantly keeps the cogs of the mind turning and churning." Artsmart, review by Shika Budhoo. "An entertaining show consisting of six monologues which provide a satirical commentary of life in modern South Africa...a number of different characters replayed with great dexterity by Zanne Solomon and Tristan Jacobs." Thomas Boughey, Cue

''Living in Strange Lands''

Krueger's most critically acclaimed work to date is ''Living in Strange Lands'' (also known as ''Tsafendas'') – a play about

Hendrik Verwoerd Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (; 8 September 1901 – 6 September 1966) was a South African politician, a scholar of applied psychology and sociology, and chief editor of ''Die Transvaler'' newspaper. He is commonly regarded as the architect ...

's assassin

Dimitri Tsafendas Dimitri Tsafendas ( el, Δημήτρης Τσαφέντας; 14 January 1918 – 7 October 1999) was a Greek- Mozambican lifelong political militant and the assassin of Prime Minister of South Africa Hendrik Verwoerd on 6 September 1966.

. The play was awarded a special trophy by the South African Community Theatre Association in 2001, and was nominated for South Africa's highest stage award, the FNB/Vita prize. ''Living in Strange Lands'' has been staged all over South Africa, as well as in Venezuela. In 2009 it was revived for the Proyecto festival of South African theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reviews A review (translated from the Spanish) by Nicolás Fernandez Bravo. "The stunning performance of Renos Nicos Spanoudes in the role of Dimitri Tsafendas – the descendent of a Greek father and a Swazi mother who assassinated, by stabbing, Dr Henrik Verwoerd – could make ''Living in Strange Lands'' the best play of the Festival. The impeccable text that narrates the construction of a person "without a group", transcends the particular boundaries of the irrationality of the South African segregationism to pose questions about identity and home, in a universal geography. The mastery with which Spanoudes interprets the radical doubt about the madness transports us to the same nucleus of classification systems that still today guide the actions that are hidden by the control of the whole State. The investigative work of Anton Krueger (Imaginary Stage) is evident in the play and he has majestically achieved the combination of historic rigour with a magnificent Freudian theatrical realisation." ''Tsafendas'' received positive reviews in a number of South African newspapers, with ''

The Star ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' stating: "This docu-drama doubles as a study in personal and political madness...ring with social and personal truths...harrowing ritualistic imagery and a luminously intelligent text...a dramatic tour de force." A sample of the text is available from Playscripts, Inc. of New York.

''Chatter''

A comedy of mistaken identity which won the Gauteng 2007 Performing Arts Network of South Africa Festival of Staged Readings. In 2008 it was performed at the

National Arts Festival The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Grahamstown, South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. T ...

Grahamstown Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London. Makhanda is the largest town in the Makana Loc ...

, and the 969 Festival in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

. Synopsis Two brothers meet after many years apart. Albert has been living in London for eight years and is returning to South Africa to meet a girl he's fallen in love with over the internet. Adler, on the other hand, has been getting ahead in the not so New South Africa and his communications company is thriving. So Albie is looking for love while Adi is expecting to meet his new franchisee, but the identities of the two girls are mistaken for each other, leading to an increasingly embarrassing series of encounters helped along by awry sms's and seductive internet chat streams. In this way worlds of romance and commerce collide as issues of identity – be it ethnic, national, or sexual – become increasingly complicated by a series of misunderstandings. After the air has cleared and everybody thinks they've finally figured out who's who, a final twist reveals they may have preferred the confusion. Reviews "An excellent piece, a comedy of errors and a commentary on the modern human condition. Thoroughly enjoyable, particularly for those of us who have found that our lives are intricately linked with technology, especially internet chat room hook-ups." (Lee-Ann Knowles, ''Cue'' 28 Jun 2008) "A delightful comedy of errors in which Alan Ayckbourn-style farce meets chatroom culture, this play provides a refreshing moment in the midst of the festival's intensity." (Theresa Edlmann, 29 Jun 2008) An interview with Anton Krueger on Litnet about ''Chatter''.

''Axis''

Axis is a black comedy ignited by the frisson between media, terrorism and fundamentalism. It has never been performed.

''Other Plays''

1996 – ''The Velvet City'' (London: Plays & Musicals) 1997 / 2009 – ''In the Blue Beaker: A Comedy about Suicide'' (New York: Playscripts, Inc.) An interview with the cast of ''Blue Beaker''. 1999 – ''Vanessa and the Vanguard'' London: Plays & Musicals.) 2000 – ''Mediocrity'' (London: Plays & Musicals) 2002 – ''The Importance of Being Thabo'' 2003 – ''Sasha's Secret Language'' 2004 – ''Dialectics # 1'' Two short plays for adolescents “Caitlyn and Thandi” and “Behind the Bicycle Sheds” appear in ''What shall we do now and other one-act plays''. Johannesburg: Macmillan South Africa. (2009).

''Other Writing''

Anton Krueger's poems have appeared in a range of South African literary magazines and journals, including ''Itch, Botsotso, Green Dragon, New Coin, Laugh it Off, Litnet, Big Bridge, Incwadi, African Writing Online'' and ''Alookaway''. In 2008 he participated in Poetry Africa, hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts in

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, South Africa. Krueger was the English poetry editor on Litnet for a number of years. During his time there, Michelle McGrane conducted this interview with him. As part of the Pretoria-based poetry collective "Bekgeveg" Krueger appeared at venues in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Alberton and at major Afrikaans festivals including the

Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees ( Afrikaans for '' Little Karoo National Arts Festival'' and usually abbreviated to ''KKNK'') is an Afrikaans language arts festival that takes place yearly in the South African town of Oudtshoorn. The festiv ...

and

Aardklop Aardklop is an annual South African arts festival held in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Potchefstroom has always been a cultural city and home to several well-known South African writers and artists. The Aardklop National Arts Festival has been ...

, between 1998–2003. He appeared in a Bekgeveg revival show in 2013 at the Asbos Theatre in Pretoria. Krueger has also experimented with a range of other genres, including short stories,

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...

manifestos A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...

and

physical theatre Physical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that encompasses storytelling primarily through physical movement. Although several performance theatre disciplines are often described as "physical theatre," the genre's characteristic asp ...

texts. His first collection of poetry, ''Everyday Anomalies'' appeared in 2011 and was reviewed by Craig Mackenzie: “Krueger revels in stripped-down, minimalist poetry in the imagist style…the poet knows how to evoke images and emotions by the way of tantalising fragments…irreverent, funny and caustic he delights in the incongruity of things…I was impressed with this debut collection. It is jaunty, funny and fast-paced, and yet has enough incisiveness and gravitas to draw the reader in.” ''Literator'' 32(3) December 2011.

''Music''

Anton Krueger plays the classical guitar and has written music for plays, including his own apocalyptic science fiction comedy ''The Velvet City'', and

Wole Soyinka Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka (Yoruba: ''Akínwándé Olúwọlé Babátúndé Ṣóyíinká''; born 13 July 1934), known as Wole Soyinka (), is a Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language. He was awarded t ...

's play ''The Invention''. His fat electric sound appears in Maritz van den Berg's alternative

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans g ...

poetry band "Die Plesier Parade".

''Photography''

Anton Krueger has exhibited work at Kyk Gallery in

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

. Some of his works appear at Vagabondage and on the kagablog.

''Short Films''

1999 – ''Unenlightenment''...screened at online film fest FilmGarten.com in Hamburg 2002 – ''Eugene's Dream of the Absa Building''...screened as part of South African edition of Unlikely Stories. 2004 – ''Mind Your Head''. A comedy sketch show pilot made for television by Neurotic Ninja Studios. (unreleased) 2007 – Krueger makes a cameo appearance in ''Bakgat'' as Dominee Paulus. 2008 – ''Anzan and the Visitors'' – An odd, slightly surreal, slightly perverse film written and directed by Krueger, about two inept burglars who befriend their victim. It was shown at the national Arts Festival and at Coal Stove in Johannesburg. 2009 – Krueger features in Johan Botha's debut film ''That Film'' 2009 – ''Tuesday'' – Written and Directed by Anton Krueger, and made with students from the Rhodes Department of Drama, this surreal short (27 min) film has been screened at the National Arts Festival, the Durban International Film Festival (in 2010) as well as at a festival of South African Cinema in Buenos Aires.

''Academic Research''

Anton Krueger has presented papers at conferences on philosophy, literature and theatre in South Africa, as well as in Australia, Russia, the Netherlands, Finland, China, Argentina, Germany and Portugal. He has published articles in the ''South African Theatre Journal'', ''English in Africa'', ''Scrutiny2'', ''Current Writing'' and has reviewed books and drama for ''The Sunday Independent'', the ''Mail and Guardian'', ''Wordstock'' and ''Cue''. Anton Krueger has a DLitt from the Department of English,

. He is an Associate Professor in the Department of Drama,

Rhodes University Rhodes University is a public university, public research university located in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, Makhanda (Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is one of four universities in the province. Established in 1904, ...