The well-known Afrikaans radio, television, stage and film producer Truida Louw died on Tuesday morning aged 91, her family said in a statement.
She died at her home in Darrenwood Village, Linden, in Johannesburg.
Louw was the widow of poet NP van Wyk Louw and the sister of actress Anna Neethling-Pohl and composer Jan Pohl. She grew up in Graaff-Reinet where as a schoolgirl she first appeared in plays. While teaching in Stellenbosch she directed and acted in Suster Beatrys.
Louw went on to work as a journalist on Die Jongspan and Die Huisgenoot in Cape Town. She also directed various productions for the Cape Town Afrikaans Drama Society and for the Academy of Drama.
She was the SABC’s first full-time producer in Cape Town. When her husband was appointed professor at the City University in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Louw worked for Radio Nederland’s Afrikaans service. She was also responsible for two television programmes about South Africa.
The couple returned to South Africa in 1959 when Louw’s husband became head of the department of Afrikaans and Nederlands at the University of the Witwatersrand.
At this time Louw, together with Aletta Gericke and Renee van der Walt, formed Trio Films, which made two films: Man in die Donker and Huis op Horings.
In 1965 she started working as a part-time lecturer in the drama department of the University of Pretoria.
After Louw’s husband died in 1970, she was appointed producer for Pact (Provincial Arts Council of the Transvaal), where some of her productions included Mattewis en Meraai, Maria Stuart and Andorra.
She also worked on Ampie for Kruik and Moeder Courage, Misdaad and Boete for Pacofs (Provincial Arts Council of the Orange Free State).
Louw was also involved in Bruidsbed vir Tant Nonnie, Angelique, Die Tierbrigade and Beste Professor.
Her last big project as a producer was a radio production for the SABC’s Afrikaans service of her husband’s Die Pluimsaad Waai Ver in 1986.
Louw was a member of the Television Advisory Council, the National Film Board, Pact’s drama committee and the committee of the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SA Academy for Art and Science).
In 1973 she was awarded the academy’s honorary award for drama. Louw is survived by her daughter Reinet, her son Peter and grandson Peter.
A memorial service for Louw will be held on Saturday, August 21 at 10am at the Randburg Presbyterian church, on the corner of Hans Strijdom drive and Elise road, Randburg. – Sapa