A small-town girl with a big-city dream

Nelago grew up in Keetmanshoop where she says she learned to speak Khoekhoegowab, a time she says has gifted her with great memories of playing and identifying with the people of Keetmanshoop. “Some of the most precious memories are in Keetmans, even though I later moved to Windhoek and lost contact with the language, I still continue to speak Oshiwambo, fortunately,” she shared.“The city brought a whole new life of opportunities and displacement at times,” she said about relocating from a small town to an urban setting like Windhoek. Nelago shared that she is inspired by people and said that that is how she “developed a love for telling stories, stories of where we come from, where we are now, how we are getting by and how we should turn out just fine.”Nelago added that this is how she faces everyday people, with a deep sense of consideration and affection.She is currently pursuing her Honours in Drama Studies and Visual Culture, at the University of Namibia (Unam). When The Zone asked Nelago whether there are social or political issues that she feels passionate about, she replied that “life is political itself”.“Our existence and engagements are political, and that is where my interest is really. That is how my personhood is informed and measured, as a young black woman living in an interesting time,” she shared.The 25-year-old said that she decided to study acting because of her love for theatre and storytelling. “It is magic that happens when I am performing, honestly, I find it inexplicalbe,” she shared. Later on in the conversation, shared some of her fears when she has to take on a role saying that there is no easy role, and that most roles terrify her. “I just want to swim through it, that is the process,” she added. “It is a bit of a journey whenever I go through the rehearsal process, when I have to discover the character. It''s a love-hate relationship that you develop with the character, that''s if you are serious about acting, because then, if you allow this process to happen, then the character becomes real,” Nelago shared with The Zone. She further mentions how the characters have a real presence and that “they have history and a psyche that you need to negotiate with”. “I''ve played different roles, and would like to continue exploring varying roles. Challenging oneself is the name of the game, but most importantly, I choose to take care of myself first, before getting into projects or roles that diminish my mind and body,” she mentioned seriously. Nelago shed some light on her character off-stage, saying that she is an extremely shy person, something a lot of people don''t know about her, saying also in tandem that “this is quite a cliché thing to respond with as a performer, bit is the honest truth,” she shared. Nelago mentioned Lucky Peters, her acting coach from the days of youth theatre, as someone that has inspired her as a young Namibian, citing that, “he has been a positive presence since then” and says that Peters has “instilled positivity and good words into my vision”, a thing which she describes as being “spectacular”.In terms of the progression that her life had taken towards the arts and drama, Nelago says that there wasn''t really a defining moment that made her take the road she walks today, adding that it was more of a progression than anything. “My mother is reader, a woman who is interested in stories, history, art and literature,” a thing which she says has informed her interests over the years. “I think the first time that I saw a play at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) that sparked something in me was the Hot Mikado directed by Sandy Rudd,” when Nelago was in the Fourth Grade. In the future she plans to write, direct and perform more stories, especially those, she says, that reflect our experience. “I would also like to expand my practice continentally as well, by, for example, “I''ll be performing my one-woman play KUKU at the International Women''s Theatre Festival later this year in Johannesburg, and this is something I would like to do more often.”Nelago describes Namibia as a funny space for aspiring full-time actors, something she says from an industry perspective. “You cannot make a comfortable living in Namibia as an actor, unless you merge your career with another similar field. The industry is minimal and cannot sustain full-time actors, “she explained. “Yet, one can also broaden one''s horizons across borders where full-time opportunities are available. I appreciate being a performer here, as challenging as it may be, the space informs me a lot,” she expounded. She mentions that she keeps a healthy work, life and study balance by managing her time, prioritising and by doing, and doing, and doing some more so that she does not flat-line her creativity and drive. “One has to keep focus,” she adds.On the African continent, Nelago identifies strongly with contemporary theatre makers like Mwenya Kabwe (Zambia), Ato Malinda (Kenya), Khutjo Green and Napo Masheane (SA). “They are amazing fierce women that are leading and challenging conventional theatre making, and that is where my headspace is really.”Nelago shared in closing that what she loves the most about theatre is the “journeys and the vulnerability involved”.“Working with other emotional beings in intimate spaces can be exhausting but fulfilling as well,” she shared. She motivates other young people that are in the arts to keep getting involved with projects and research that will develop the skills need [for the industry and the self]. “I got around by just asking and randomly showing up. It is also important to take time, and not rush into things; inquire, practice and learn from the best quality you.”Nelago finally added that she does not believe that the Namibian theatre industry is where it is supposed to be, adding that “it is quite centralised and exclusive, and that''s problematic, even though it is growing slowly, so we march on.”Keith Vries

A small-town girl with a big-city dream

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

Please login to leave a comment

A small-town girl with a big-city dream

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

Please login to leave a comment

Login