Despite suffering from social anxiety and almost no acting experience, Sharmell Terblanche has proved that determination and a dream sprinkled with a touch of talent is a recipe for success.
The Hornlee resident was recently announced as one of the main acts for this year’s Suidoosterfees where she will be performing the lead role in the Ek Miena production.
The 28-year-old secured her spot after she impressed the judges in her first professional theatre performance at the department of arts and culture drama festival in January.
She won the Best Actress award for her performance in the same production.
Terblanche spent six months preparing for the role and getting into character, which saw Ek Miena winning second place overall with one of the prizes being a slot at the Suidoosterfees, taking place at the Performing Arts Theatre in Cape Town from April 29 to May 3.
“I was contacted about two months before the audition. I had about a week to learn all my lines and I jumped straight into rehearsal.
“Learning the words was easy but becoming the character took about five months,” she said.
Ek Miena is written by Nadeem Jeftha and is a story about the struggles of a woman who went through immense trauma at a very young age.
As a result, she started to struggle with crippling mental health issues and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.
The play is directed by Marven Charles, choreographed by Gashmee Dirk with technical support by Jason Swartz.
The actress was contacted by the director, whom she had worked with before, to understudy for the lead Miena.
Terblanche said she suffered from social anxiety. However, when she was on stage all her anxiety went away.
“I lit up on stage. I can be there, in the moment and it makes me feel seen and heard,” she said
She said playing the main character in Ek Miena was not something she took lightly, as the character was relatable and reflected the story of many people who suffered with mental health issues in silence.
“There is a lot one can learn from Miena.
“It is raw and unfiltered and doesn’t shy away from taboo topics, that, in many communities, do not get the attention or education they deserve.
“I did research and watched documentaries and movies about people suffering with various mental health disorders, mainly schizophrenia.
“I myself have struggled with mental health issues since I was young and I think that helped me connect with the character.”
Terblanche said Ek Miena was not a story about triumph or overcoming personal struggles.
“It is deep and dark and delves into challenges that so many women face but are ignored and swept under the rug,” she said.
Charles, 55, said creating Miena was quite the journey.
“The original piece was quite graphic and we had to adapt a few scenes, and take a few out and replace them to make the play more appropriate for a younger age group.
“So quite a lot of thinking, writing and rewriting took place before we got to where we are now. This, however, is still not the final product.
“Our original Miena withdrew and I had to find a replacement, which is Sharmell Terblanche. A brilliant actress from Knysna.
“Sharmell is one of those actresses that really dive and dig into the character.”
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