Deurnis

spring 2025 — experimental

Project directed by lara botha

In Afrikaans: “DEUR” - Door / Through “Deernis” - Compassion

DEURnis began in the 2010s with South African producer Johan van der Merwe. Inspired by immersive theatre he saw in Edinburgh, van der Merwe conceptualized DEURnis based on the “1 on 1 theatre” model, introducing a series of site-specific monologues involving one single audience member and one single actor. The show’s examination of ‘the anatomy of intimacy’ plunges the audience into a direct relationship with the character as well as a confrontation with their own role in the room, making the experience unique and immediate for every individual participant. All pieces, written by South African playwrights, were tailored to the conditions of specific, lived-in spaces the team had access to, offering extreme immersion while resourcefully navigating the limits of independent theatre. DEURnis has enjoyed regional success in South Africa for the past 10 years.

‘College theatre-going audiences have become passive... I want something that wakes people up with a seismic shake.’ Project Director Lara Botha, a USC Acting BFA, has brought 6 potent DEURnis pieces to Los Angeles. In collaboration with The Aeneid Theatre Company and some of the finest talent in USC student theatre, DEURnis ’s international debut will transform the Scene Dock Theatre into a swirling gallery of emotional extremes. With particular focus on intimacy, memory, and perspective, DEURnis at USC is a magnifying glass for the function and concerns of performance from a never-before-seen angle.

by Peter Zhu, from ATC’s DEURnis booklet.