Peter Krummeck on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
''Peter Alan Krummeck'' (4 March 1947 - 9 November 2013) was a South African actor, theatre designer, director, writer, teacher, and activist, who won renown beyond South Africa in his one-man play ''Bonhoeffer''. Pioneering the use of drama as a tool for reconciliation, he founded the
He founded the company, Compass Productions, and, subsequently, the African Community Theatre Service (ACTS), in order to undertake work in reconciliation. Under Archbishop Desmond Tutu's mentorship he worked as a lay-minister in the Anglican Church from the mid-1980s, being associated with the parishes of St John's in Wynberg and St Paul's in Rondebosch - though latterly with the Rondebosch United Church. Under the banner of ACTS, he wrote and directed ''The Passion'' and a nativity play, ''Lodestar''.
In addition to being an acclaimed stage actor and theatre designer in major productions, Krummeck was active as a playwright for radio productions on SAfm in South Africa, and appeared in film and television, notably the screen adaptation of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom starring Idris Elba. Shortly before his death, he completed a radio dramatisation called ''A Lessons from Aloes'', on the history of mission schools in South Africa, and their revival in a project headed by Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane.
Krummeck was artist in residence at St Mark’s Church, Washington D.C. in 2002 and, while there, workshopped a programme for the first anniversary of 9/11, including his one man play ''Bonhoeffer''. Based on the life and witness of the German pastor, theologian, and dissident anti-Nazi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the play toured in South Africa, the United States, and Canada, where it was televised.
Concerned with issues of gender characterisation and discrimination, Krummeck explored these themes on stage and camera, and in published texts. With encouragement from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he wrote a guide to gender relationships for the parish of St John’s, Wynberg. His 1994 teleplay ''Dear and Awkward Courage'', directed by Tamara Semevsky, was the first work openly to address the gay issue on Bookslive feature on Adam and Luke
/ref> His two novellas, published as ''Adam & Luke'', were reissued by Junkets Publisher as part of their 10th anniversary series.
Krummeck died at St. Luke's Hospice in Cape Town on Saturday, November 9, 2013, six months after being diagnosed with cancer.
African Community Theatre Service
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
with Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...
as patron.Krummeck, P.A. 2012. ''Adam & Luke.'' Cape Town: Junkets
Early life and education
Krummeck was born in Johannesburg. He studied graphic design inEast London
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
, South Africa, and he achieved the National Diploma in Graphic Design with distinction in 1967. He was appointed studio manager at the Daily Dispatch newspaper in East London, under the editorship of Donald Woods, before moving to Cape Town in 1969.
A career in theatre and film
Krummeck’s theatre career in Cape Town, spanning more than four decades, included a lectureship at the Drama Department at the University of Cape Town in 1974-6, where he devised modules in stagecraft and design. In 1973 he appeared in the title role in a translation of P.G. du Plessis’ ''Plaston: DNS-kind'', and he went on some years later to translate du Plessis’ ''Siener in die Suburbs'' (as ''Seer in the Suburbs''). Pre-eminently forCAPAB
The Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) was a South African theatre organisation based in Cape Town, serving the former Cape Province. It was one of the four state-funded performing arts councils in the four former provinces of South Africa insti ...
, at Artscape Artscape may refer to:
* Artscape (festival)
Artscape is an annual art festival held in the Mount Royal neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland in July. Since its first annual event in 1982, it has become the largest free arts festival in America. It ...
, but also in other contexts such as Maynardville, and at the Baxter Theatre, Krummeck worked as an actor, director, producer, and writer. He was much involved at the Baxter Theatre from its earliest days, being responsible for the architect’s model prior to its construction. He produced several of his own plays there, including ''The Evening of our Time'', a searing examination of the moral dilemma of whether to leave South Africa or stay at the height of apartheid.
He founded the company, Compass Productions, and, subsequently, the African Community Theatre Service (ACTS), in order to undertake work in reconciliation. Under Archbishop Desmond Tutu's mentorship he worked as a lay-minister in the Anglican Church from the mid-1980s, being associated with the parishes of St John's in Wynberg and St Paul's in Rondebosch - though latterly with the Rondebosch United Church. Under the banner of ACTS, he wrote and directed ''The Passion'' and a nativity play, ''Lodestar''.
In addition to being an acclaimed stage actor and theatre designer in major productions, Krummeck was active as a playwright for radio productions on SAfm in South Africa, and appeared in film and television, notably the screen adaptation of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom starring Idris Elba. Shortly before his death, he completed a radio dramatisation called ''A Lessons from Aloes'', on the history of mission schools in South Africa, and their revival in a project headed by Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane.
Krummeck was artist in residence at St Mark’s Church, Washington D.C. in 2002 and, while there, workshopped a programme for the first anniversary of 9/11, including his one man play ''Bonhoeffer''. Based on the life and witness of the German pastor, theologian, and dissident anti-Nazi, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the play toured in South Africa, the United States, and Canada, where it was televised.
Concerned with issues of gender characterisation and discrimination, Krummeck explored these themes on stage and camera, and in published texts. With encouragement from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he wrote a guide to gender relationships for the parish of St John’s, Wynberg. His 1994 teleplay ''Dear and Awkward Courage'', directed by Tamara Semevsky, was the first work openly to address the gay issue on South African television
Television in South Africa was introduced in 1976. South Africa was relatively late in introducing television broadcasting to its population.
History Opposition to introduction
The first proposal to introduce television in South Africa was made ...
, while his award-winning HIV/Aids play ''iVirgin Boy'' dealt with themes of male rape and bisexuality./ref> His two novellas, published as ''Adam & Luke'', were reissued by Junkets Publisher as part of their 10th anniversary series.
Final illness and death
Krummeck died at St. Luke's Hospice in Cape Town on Saturday, November 9, 2013, six months after being diagnosed with cancer.
Filmography
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krummeck, Peter 1947 births 2013 deaths 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 20th-century South African male actors 20th-century South African male writers 20th-century South African novelists Male actors from Johannesburg Male dramatists and playwrights People from East London, Eastern Cape South African dramatists and playwrights South African male stage actors South African male film actors South African male television actors South African male novelists