Prolific playwright, director and producer Gibson Kente announced in 2003 that would change not only his own life forever, but those of many people who stood to benefit from his talent and mentorship. On one of the stages of The Market Theatre, Kente, who was widely regarded as the father of township theatre, announced with a brave face that he had been diagnosed HIV-positive. However, being a fighter who used theatre to battle the apartheid system, he also announced he was not going to face his demise quietly. He intended to write what would become his last play about issues of AIDS and HIV in communities. When he died in 2004, he had delivered the new play but, due to his failing health, he had not been able to take it on the road to large theatres. SA’s arts leaders promised they would not let his legacy be forgotten, and an announcement was made of plans to start a Gibson Kente Foundation — a promise that was not fulfilled. Now Kente’s legacy is getting new life in a musical dir...
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