Coopwood, Huntsman and Van Norden Cast in CA Bow of South African Play Groundswell

By Kenneth Jones
05 Oct 2009

San Jose Rep will stage the second U.S. production of South African playwright Ian Bruce's Groundswell, the psychological thriller "about dashed dreams, enduring hope and the seductive promises of a transforming society."

Groundswell premiered in South Africa in 2005 and Off-Broadway at The New Group in summer 2009. Kirsten Brandt directs the West Coast premiere, to play Oct. 10-Nov. 8 in San Jose, CA. Opening is Oct. 16.

According to San Jose Rep notes, "What would a man do for one last chance at a better life? Johan (played by Scott Coopwood) and Thami (Dwight Huntsman) are caretakers of a beachfront guest lodge on the jagged edge of the South African diamond coast. These two men, from starkly contrasting backgrounds, have become friends through their shared dreams of a better life. When Smith (Peter Van Norden), a wealthy businessman, arrives at the lodge on a foggy evening, the two desperate men see Smith as the perfect investor for their 'get-rich' scheme to buy a government-run diamond concession. Soon, the three men find themselves in a power struggle fueled by greed, desperation and entitlement. Ian Bruce has created three incredible characters who explore the effects of politics on the individual. Each character is an emblematic representation of what the end of apartheid has meant to various groups in South Africa."

Artistic director Rick Lombardo stated, "As an artist living in the whirlwind that is post-apartheid South Africa, Ian has fashioned a beautiful play that asks several questions: 'How do we live together after apartheid? Where did all the promise and hope go? Who bears responsibility for the sins of the past, and can we move beyond it?' These are wonderfully universal questions — and certainly not limited to the people of South Africa."

In 1978, Bruce's first play, Falls The Shadow, won the Dutch Arts Council Best New Play Award. His only work to evade South Africa's censorship net, My Father's House, was produced by PACT in 1989, directed by the late Francois Swart. After his return to South Africa in the early '90s, Bruce won a Radio South Africa award for his play, Kept In Mind. He is currently the executive director of the New Africa Theatre Association.

The creative team includes John Iacovelli (scenic designer), Maggie Morgan (costume designer), David Lee Cuthbert (lighting designer) and Steve Schoenbeck (sound designer).

Tickets are available at the San Jose Rep box office at 101 Paseo de San Antonio or can be purchased online at www.SJRep.com or by calling (408) 367-7255.