Comparative Literature Events

Apr
15
Wed
12:00pm - 1:30pm
IASH Room Ln 1106
"Pieces of Me" is an autobiographical play that reckons with the immense cost of living secretly as a mixed-race family under the racist apartheid regime. The play explores how Bo's father's decision to pass as white has shaped her life. Under apartheid, Bo's family could not legally exist. At 19, Bo accidentally discovered her father's racial background—and therefore her own, as well—and she became custodian of her father's secret. "Pieces of Me" is Bo's renegotiation with history and with her father. Focused on a specific South African history, Bo's play resonates with experiences of discrimination, passing, and silence throughout the world. Bo Petersen has worked as a professional actor in South Africa for more than 40 years, working on stage, TV, and film. She has also made a name for herself as a director. Bo currently resides in the US where she continues to write, direct, and perform.