A man in a formal suit steps onto the stage and starts undressing himself with rage. Tension builds in the room: a boy is about to transition into manhood.Morwa the Rising Son, performed and written by Tefo Paya and diected by Warren Nebe, addresses the complexities of masculine identity, as well as the complex nature of gender, through the discoveries a boy makes on his way to manhood.The formal suit that Morwa wears on his first appearance represents conventional ideals of masculinity, as well as the presence of his father, whom he describes as a “hard man”. Shedding his suit, he decides to put on his mother’s skirt, even though he doesn’t feel like he relates to her. At this, the audience bursts into laughter, more because of their discomfort at the idea of a man in a skirt than the comedic element of the scene. In this way, the audience is implicated in the various ways clothing perpetuates the performance of gender.Moving between outfits – the suit, the skirt and male underwear...
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