West Side Story, one of the most celebrated musicals in the history of American theatre, was brought to life by a company of University of the Free State and Southern Methodist University (SMU) students whose combined talent, preparation, and artistic courage made the production something Bloemfontein audiences are unlikely to forget.

The marked the return of the international collaboration between SMU in Dallas, Texas, the Odeion School of Music, and the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts (UFS) – a partnership that first produced a sold-out staging of Carousel on this campus in 2024. Prof Barbara Hill Moore and the SMU delegation returned to South Africa for a month-long residency, working alongside University of the Free State students in a creative process that demanded the best from everyone involved.

A story that still speaks

West Side Story needs little introduction. Since its Broadway premiere at the Winter Garden Theatre on 26 September 1957, the work – conceived and originally directed by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents – has endured as a landmark of the form. A reimagining of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set against the gang-divided streets of 1950s New York City, it follows the tragic romance between Tony and Maria across the battle lines of the Jets and the Sharks.

Its themes of love, prejudice, identity, belonging, and the cost of violence have lost none of their urgency. If anything, they have gained new dimensions in a world still grappling with the same fault lines that the musical named nearly seventy years ago.

Throughout history, individuals and communities have sought identity, purpose, and connection through the groups to which they belong. These bonds can unite us, but they can also create boundaries that separate 'us' from 'them', as we see in the conflict between the Jets and the Sharks.

For Dr Thys Heydenrych, Programme Director: Drama and Theatre Arts, this production was particularly meaningful, because it brought together students and staff from diverse backgrounds in a truly collaborative environment. “Working alongside colleagues and students from different institutions and cultures was immensely rewarding, and I believe we all learned from one another in the process,” said Dr Heydenrych. “The production demanded a great deal from the students – long hours, intense rehearsals, and a significant level of commitment – but they rose to the occasion with professionalism, resilience, and dedication. I could not be prouder of what they have achieved together.”

The production was directed by Dr Thys Heydenrych, with Prof Barbara Hill Moore serving as music director and Dr Albertus Engelbrecht as associate music director. The Free State Youth Orchestra, conducted by Dingaan Chabalala, provided live accompaniment throughout – a dimension that elevated the entire experience.

Dr Albertus Engelbrecht had the following to say, “As Associate Music Director, I worked closely with Prof Hill Moore during the preparation and rehearsal period. What struck me once again this year is her ability to convey sometimes-complicated information in the simplest terms, helping students to better grasp what she intends through the expression of music and text – a true example of her many years of teaching experience (more than 50 years).” The result was that students at both institutions learned their roles in a period that should take six weeks in professional theatres.

What it feels like from the inside

For the students who performed, the production was more than just a stage credit. It was a formative experience. Mongezi Mosoaka, a postgraduate tenor at the Odeion School of Music who sang the role of Tony, speaks about the process with a clarity that captures what the collaboration made possible.

"What an exceptional privilege it was to sing the role of Tony in this production," Mosoaka reflects. "From rehearsals to the final performance, the whole process was an incredible experience. It's one thing to imagine it – it's another to experience it. I am so grateful for the opportunity."

Fifteen years of partnership deepened further

The SMU-in-South Africa programme, founded in 2011 by Prof Hill Moore, has produced some of the most ambitious theatrical work seen on South African campuses over the past decade and a half. Previous productions have been staged at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha, each building on the last.

The University of the Free State's involvement began with the 2024 production of Carousel, and West Side Story has deepened an already meaningful and productive relationship. For students in the Odeion School of Music and the Department of Drama and Theatre Arts, working alongside SMU faculty and students in a month-long residency is an experience of a different order – one that requires real artistic commitment, sustained discipline, and the kind of creative trust that takes time to build.

More than a performance