Debut production - Before the Second Advent is a play in four acts (Conquest, War, Famine and Death) that tells the story of familial trauma, illness, and religious fervor. Set in an insular English/ Afrikaans Christian community, Heila visits her estranged, dying grandmother as she awaits the day of reckoning, which she believes will commence tonight. Over the course of a tension filled evening, the young girl bears witness to her grandmother's feverish fixation with the arrival of her maker and the narrative unfolds as the two characters navigate their relationship, both seeking justice, redemption, forgiveness and atonement for past sins. 

The Writer's Statement:
Before the Second Advent is a tension-filled drama comprising four scenes (conquest, war, famine, and death).  It tells the story of Heila, a young girl who returns to the insular religious community she was raised in, to confront her dying grandmother who is gripped by feverish delusions that Armageddon is imminent. The initial idea for the play was born from a deeply personal space. Being raised by my grandmother, a fiercely religious woman, left me witness to the tenacity of her faith despite being ravaged by illness. As a result, I wanted to tell a story about love, fear, familial obligation, female generational trauma, and the complicated perceptions we have of the formative figures in our lives, especially within the framework of stringent, and often harsh, belief systems/structures. The most interesting part of this writing/workshopping experience, especially under the guidance of our director Nell Van der Merwe, has been watching the piece grow into something far more interesting than I could've imagined from the first draft. For this to happen, I had to let go of the personal and allow the work to evolve beyond 'reality' to ultimately land on far more compelling truths. Initially, the process was difficult and I found myself protective of the perception of a history and person I'm profoundly tied to. However, by digging at what serves the story, what drives the narrative, and what ups the stakes, the play took on a life of its own and, tonally, it shifted to something more pointed, more consistent, and ultimately more engaging. Consequently, it feels as though the same themes are being addressed in a far more exciting and, most importantly, extensive fashion that left me, as a writer, with greater insights into the technical aspects of devising a work and an even deeper appreciation for the memory of my grandmother.