Barney Simon facts for kids

Barney Simon was a talented South African writer, playwright, and director. He was born on April 13, 1932, and passed away on June 30, 1995, in Johannesburg. He is remembered for his important work in theatre and for helping to create a new kind of South African drama.

Discovering Theatre

Barney Simon grew up in a working-class family. His parents were immigrants from Lithuania. He found his passion for theatre in the 1950s. This happened while he was working with director Joan Littlewood in London.

When he returned to Johannesburg, he worked as an advertising writer to support himself. But his real love was producing and directing plays. Even before he started the famous Market Theatre, Barney put on plays in many different places. He used warehouses, small shops, and even backyards. He made sure that people of all races could act in and watch these plays together. This was very brave during a time when strict racial segregation laws, called apartheid, were in place in South Africa. One famous play he directed was Athol Fugard's The Blood Knot in 1961.

Barney also spent a year in New York City from 1969 to 1970. There, he helped introduce South African plays to American audiences. He also worked as an editor for a journal called New American Review.

The Market Theatre Story

In 1976, Barney Simon helped create the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. This was a very special place. It was South Africa's first cultural center where people of all races could come together. It became a birthplace for a new kind of theatre in the country.

Barney was the artistic director of the Market Theatre from when it opened until he passed away. This was a challenging job. South Africa still had apartheid laws, which separated people by race. The theatre did not receive money from the government. It was also always at risk of being shut down. This was because it showed plays with mixed-race actors and audiences. These plays often talked about important and sometimes difficult topics.

Barney Simon was the first to stage many plays by the famous playwright Athol Fugard. He also directed a film for the BBC. This film was based on Nadine Gordimer’s story "City Lovers." Later in his life, he worked with writer Jean-Claude Carrière. They worked on the French version of his last play, The Suit. This play was shown in Paris and directed by Peter Brook. It was based on a short story by Can Themba.

Barney Simon was known for his unique way of creating new plays. He would often start with research about real-life situations. Then, he would use improvisation and teamwork to develop the story. He sometimes worked with actors who had never been on stage before. He also brought together musicians, professional actors, and people new to theatre. This helped create very original and powerful performances.

Writing and Editing

Barney Simon was also very active in South African literature. From 1964 to 1971, he was the editor of The Classic. This was an important South African journal. It focused on literature from the townships, which were areas where Black South Africans were forced to live under apartheid. The journal was started by Nat Nakasa in 1963.

Simon also helped edit an autobiographical novel. It was called Familiarity is the Kingdom of the Lost. This book was written by Dugmore Boetie. Barney Simon also wrote an afterword for the book. In 1974, he published his own collection of stories. It was titled Joburg Sis!.