Birds chirping
Babies crying
Silence needed
Cars passing
>
The thoughts are too loud
I can’t hear myself think
Suddenly it goes quiet and I am instantly aware of how shallow my breath is
>
I try to focus but anxiety takes over
In an instant my brain feels like a factory burning down
I look at one spot hoping my imagination will get less chaotic
That my eyes will deceive me until I forget about the noise inside of me
>
Desperately I try to breath but it’s as though there’s not enough air in the room
I feel faint and I anticipate my fall
Up and down, side by side…thoughts rush through my head
>
I find myself trying to yell but exhaustion tells me that will take too much effort
That I need to save myself and the little energy left in me
However I also know that soon I will be depleted
Gone with the wind and no one will notice
For I have let the noise silence me for too long
Just like that…. my existence was forgotten
>
I utter one word and I notice how dry my mouth is
I look around, anxiously hoping to get just one drop of water
But all I see is a desert and my deserted emotions
Nothing I say now will save me
For in my presence I had always been absent
>
If I had lived in the moment
Maybe then would I matter!!!
Jane Mpholo is a multi-award winning theatre Practitioner and an Audience Development Specialist at the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) . She has been active on both the national and international platforms with collaborations with practitioners from the Netherlands, USA and Australia, to name a few. Jane is a senior judge for the World Monologue Games and World Monologue Film Festival. Her highlights as a writer include being chosen as one of the 5 top playwrights for the NATi Yong Sterre program for her script "The Dawn", making it to the top 20 playwrights list for the African Women Playwrights Festival of Plays for her script "The Naked Truth" (which she later turned into a short film) and having her script "Fragmented" on the program for Teksmark 2022. Her autobiographical show "Psalm 69" has proved to be timeless and has showcased on both the national and international platforms such as the Global leadership summit 2018. Jane is a panel member for the National Arts Council and is a former FS Provincial Liaison for the BASA Debut Program. She is a recent graduate for the BASA Cultural Producers Program, an initiative between British Council; BASA, Common Purpose and the Manchester International Festival. Her short film "Cleanse" which looks at the life of a woman under oppression as a domestic worker has won multiple international awards and aired on DSTV pop up channel 150 (Woordfees TV 2022). Jane is also one of the contributors for the Stemme/Voices monologues 2022, an initiative by the Suidoosterfees.
Jane practices as a professional actor (has over 40 theatrical shows under her belt), playwright, producer, dramaturge, facilitator, arts coach , speaker and mentor. She is passionate about inclusive education and creating a safe space for audiences to engage in discussions pertaining to the social ills of the world. She is a true advocate for human rights.
Amongst the many awards and recognitions....she is a three times Kyknet Fiesta Nominated artist and made it to the lists "Mail and Guardian Women Changing South Africa" and the "Sunday World Unsung Heroes 2022".
