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IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
La Ronde: a provocative exploration of sex and power at the Baxter
Awethu Hleli, Carlo Daniels, Berenice Barbier, Lyle October, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe, Aiden Scott, Tamzin Williams Image: Mark Dobson La Ronde is set to ignite The Baxter Studio this winter with a daring and darkly comic new production directed by Leila Henriques, running from 20 June to 12 July 2025. Inspired by Arthur Schnitzler's once-censored 1897 play, this contemporary reimagining explores themes of sex, power, and longing through a chain of encounters between 10 strikingly different characters. In a world obsessed with visibility, image and performance, this modern adaptation of LaRonde probes a world where intimacy is currency, sex is a calculated strategy and everyone is performing for someone. Set in modern-day Cape Town, the play unfolds through the eyes of a DJ, who soundtracks each scene with music that reflects the emotional tempo of the characters' intimate exchanges. 'This play is funny, awkward and deeply human,' said Henriques. 'Anyone who's ever chased love or connection will see themselves in it.' Lyle October, Berenice Barbier and cast of La Ronde Image: Mark Dobson The production features The Baxter's acclaimed Fire's Burning Company — Awethu Hleli, Lyle October, Tamzin Daniels, Nolufefe Ntshuntshe and Carlo Daniels — joined by Berenice Barbier and Aidan Scott, both of whom have earned critical praise, with Scott recently honoured as Best New Director at the Fleur du Cap Awards. With design by Patrick Curtis, costumes by Wolf Britz, and lighting by Franky Steyn, La Ronde merges visceral choreography, sharp-witted dialogue, and a pulsing score into a theatrical experience that's provocative, poignant, and unapologetically bold. Cast members shared their thoughts on the production with Weekend Argus, reflecting on its emotional depth and cultural relevance. 'It's both exciting and scary,' said Awethu Hleli, reflecting on performing La Ronde in a contemporary South African context. 'As young artists in South Africa, we don't shy away from complexity — we embrace it. We're part of a generation that's evolved in how we think about sexuality, and we're using our voices to engage with topics that were once considered taboo.' Asked to choose a song that captures her character's experience, Hleli chose Dolly Parton's Just Because I'm a Woman. 'My character is very aware of her own strength and how that can be used against her — or judged — as if she's somehow less capable of loving.' For Carlo Daniels, the play unlocks deeper reflections on romantic relationships. 'La Ronde really gets you thinking differently and reveals some hard truths about relationships,' he said. 'They're often complex and layered — especially once they're consummated — but what the play shows is that these knots can be untangled, even if it takes time.' He added: 'It's always great working with this team. You're reminded of what a gift real teamwork is, and the kind of magic that can come from it.' For Berenice Barbier, it's the silence in La Ronde that speaks loudest. 'There's a moment where everything goes completely still — no lines, no gestures — just a quiet return to self-realisation,' she said. 'It's charged with unspoken tension and self-awareness. That silence says more than a monologue ever could. Every night it lands differently, and that unpredictability is thrilling.' Carlo Daniels, Awethu Hleli and cast of La Ronde, Image: Mark Dobson Though La Ronde is rich with emotionally charged and intimate scenes, it's also filled with unexpected moments of levity. 'I'm definitely the one most likely to burst out laughing during a serious scene,' Barbier admitted. 'But those moments are a gift — they remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.' It's this balance — between humour and discomfort, silence and revelation — that gives La Ronde its power. As Hleli put it, 'We're part of a generation that doesn't shy away from complexity. We embrace it.' In this bold new staging, La Ronde becomes more than a series of encounters — it's a mirror held up to modern intimacy, in all its vulnerability, contradiction and connection." [email protected] Weekend Argus
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, dead at 82: 'Words can't do justice'
Carl Thomas Dean, husband of country music icon Dolly Parton, has died. He was 82. Parton shared the news on Monday in a statement posted on her official social media channels. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," she wrote. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy." The couple married in 1966 and had no children. A cause of death was not disclosed, although the post noted Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee, where the couple resided. USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Parton for comment. Dean was a private man — so private that many have long wondered if he actually existed. He rarely walked a red carpet, made an appearance at a premiere or attended a show business function. But he did exist, and the deep love and respect he showed his wife was instrumental to Parton's perseverance and success throughout her career, Parton told Knox News, part of the USA TODAY Network, in 2024. "There's always that safety, that security, that strength," she said of being with Dean. "He's a good man, and we've had a good life and he's been a good husband." According to Parton's social media post Monday, Dean will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family. Dean never wanted to be in the spotlight. One night at an awards show in 1966 was enough to convince him that the glitz and glam was not the scene for him. After the event, Dean told his new wife, "I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wingdings," Parton revealed in her 1994 autobiography "Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business." From then on, he stayed in the shadows to focus on his real estate dealings and tended to the couple's Nashville ranch, all while shooing away pesky reporters. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) "He never wanted to be part of any of that, never did interviews. (He) would just run like a scalded dog. If somebody said, 'Are you Carl Dean? Can you answer a few questions?' 'No, I don't answer questions,'" Parton told Knox News while imitating Dean. 'Y'all are adorable': Dolly Parton posts rare photo with husband Carl Dean, fans react But Parton shared glimpses of her mysterious husband and their marriage throughout her career, in interviews, on social media and in her music. "Jolene," one of Parton's signature songs, is partly based on a bank teller who flirted with Dean, according to She wrote "Just Because I'm a Woman" after Dean expressed disappointment she'd been with other men before they married. Dean is featured on the cover of her 1969 album "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy." He also was the inspiration behind other songs, including "From Here to the Moon and Back," "Forever Love," "Say Forever You'll Be Mine" and "Tomorrow is Forever." An 18-year-old Parton met Dean in 1964 on the very first day she moved to Nashville, eager to start a career in country music. She was leaving the Wishy Washy Laundromat when 21-year-old Dean waved and spoke to her. Their love story began. "My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin,'" Dean recalled in 2016 after the couple renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary. "And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth." "If I had it to do all over, I'd do it all over again," Parton wrote in a statement for their 50th anniversary. Dolly Parton's secret to long marriage: 'We're not in each other's faces all the time' In an October 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Parton revealed that distance makes the heart grow fonder when it came to her decadeslong romance with Dean. "Because I stay gone," she said jokingly. "And there's a lot of truth in that — the fact that we're not in each other's faces all the time." Contributing: Amy Haneline, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband of 60 years, dies at 82
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dolly Parton's husband of nearly 60 years and US Army veteran, Carl Dean, dies at 82
Dolly Parton has sung for decades with her loyal husband Carl Dean by her side. The two met in the early 1960s and it was love at first sight. The two met on Dolly's first day in Nashville, Tennessee in 1964 at the Wishy-Washy Laundromat. Dean said, 'My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl. My second thought was, 'Lord, she's good-looking.''Dolly had dated only a couple of men back in her hometown and was not quite sure yet about him. On her website, Dolly shared, 'I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face, a rare thing for me. He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.' She took him to meet her family and then they went on their first date. Dean had to keep his commitment to the U.S. Army National Guard, so he completed his enlistment, which was for two years, in the stateside U.S. The two were engaged once he completed his assignment and they still had to keep the wedding on the down low because of Dolly's record label. The label did not want her marriage to be public. They married on May 30, 1966, and it lasted nearly 60 years. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Parthiban Shanmugam (@hollywoodcurry) Dean supported Parton's singing career in all its aspects. Parton's 60-year career has included 49 studio albums, 100 million records sold worldwide, 25 singles reaching No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, composing over 3,000 songs, an actress in top-level Hollywood films, and 11 Grammys from 50 nominations — just to name a few of her accomplishments. All through this time their marriage endured and was strengthened. Although his personal taste in music was more hard rock, he still supported Parton in her passion. He ran an asphalt paving company in Nashville while she traveled the world singing and entertaining. He kept out of the limelight, rarely walking on the red carpet or being seen out in public with Parton. Parton called him 'romantic' as he did spontaneous things to surprise her and wrote her poems. Parton wrote songs for him, such as Jolene, Just Because I'm a Woman, From Here to the Moon and Back, Forever Love, Say Forever You'll Be Mine and Tomorrow is Forever. He even showed up on the album cover for Parton's My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy. When leaving their estate in Nashville, he would supposedly tell paparazzi that he was the 'gardener.' Parton said, 'Not everyone is lucky enough to be with someone for 50 years, but I have been. He has been the love of my life and the life of my love.' Their commitment included a renewal of their vows on May 6, 2016, for their 50th wedding anniversary. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dolly Parton (@dollyparton) Dean passed on Monday, March 3rd, 2025, at the age of 82. His funeral will be a private ceremony with the close family in attendance. We Are The Mighty provides our sincerest condolences to the Parton and Dean families.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband of over 60 years and a man of mystery, dies at age 82
Rarely seen, Carl Dean was the man who stood by Dolly Parton's side as her partner and biggest supporter for 60 years. Parton's husband has died. He was 82. Dean died today in Nashville, Parton announced on her social media accounts. Dean was a Nashville native, born to Edgar 'Ed' Henry Dean and Virginia "Ginny" Bates Dean. The couple married in 1966 and had no children. Dean was a private man. So private that many have long wondered if he actually existed. He rarely walked a red carpet, made an appearance at a premiere or attended a show business function. But he did exist, and the deep love and respect he showed his wife was instrumental to Parton's perseverance and success throughout her career, Parton told Knox News in 2024. 'There's always that safety, that security, that strength,' she said of being with Dean. 'He's a good man, and we've had a good life and he's been a good husband.' Dean never wanted to be in the spotlight. One night at an awards show in 1966 was enough to convince him that the glitz and glam was not for him. After the event, Dean told his new wife, "I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wingdings," Parton revealed in her 1994 autobiography, 'Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.' From then on, he stayed in the shadows and opted to focus on his own real estate dealings and tended to the couple's Nashville ranch, all while shooing away pesky reporters. 'He never wanted to be part of any of that, never did interviews. (He) would just run like a scalded dog. If somebody said, 'Are you Carl Dean? Can you answer a few questions?' 'No, I don't answer questions,'" Parton told Knox News while imitating Dean. But Parton shared glimpses of her mysterious husband and their marriage throughout her career, in interviews, on social media and in her music. "Jolene," one of Parton's signature songs, is partly based on a bank teller who flirted with Dean, according to She wrote "Just Because I'm a Woman" after Dean expressed disappointment she'd been with other men before they married. Dean is featured on the cover of her album 'My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy' (1969). Dean also was the inspiration behind other songs, including "From Here to the Moon and Back," "Forever Love," "Say Forever You'll Be Mine" and "Tomorrow is Forever." And to honor the never-ending love and support of her husband, a special section was dedicated to him at the Dolly Parton Experience museum in Dollywood, which opened in 2024. 'He would have never before allowed me to even do that. But I didn't even tell him I'm doing it. I'm just doing it,' Parton told Knox News at the time. 'But I think he deserves his own little spot.' An 18-year-old Dolly Parton met Carl Dean in 1964 on the very first day she moved to Nashville, eager to start a career in country music. She was leaving the Wishy Washy Laundromat when 21-year-old Dean waved and spoke to her. Their love story began. "My first thought was 'I'm gonna marry that girl.' My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin,'" Dean recalled in 2016 after the couple renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary. 'And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth." The couple began dating, but Dean soon enlisted in the military. He served in the National Guard during the Vietnam era for two years, but never went overseas. When he returned to Nashville, Parton's career was just taking off. Because her record label didn't want her married, the couple secretly wed in Ringgold, Georgia, in 1966 to keep their nuptials out of Nashville papers. The couple remained together since that chance meeting at Wishy Washy Laundromat, privately enjoying each other at home and often taking trips in their RV. "If I had it to do all over, I'd do it all over again,' Parton wrote in a statement for their 50th anniversary. Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean dies at age 82: 'We've had a good life'
USA Today
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, dead at 82: 'Words can't do justice'
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, dead at 82: 'Words can't do justice' Show Caption Hide Caption Dolly Parton, her businesses give $2 million to Helene cleanup efforts Dolly Parton's vast charity arrived to aid Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene through a partnership with Walmart to assist with relief efforts. Carl Thomas Dean, husband of country music icon Dolly Parton, has died. He was 82. Parton shared the news on Monday in a statement posted on her official Instagram page. "Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," Parton wrote. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy." The couple married in 1966 and had no children. A cause of death was not disclosed, although the post noted Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee. Dean was a private man − so private that many have long wondered if he actually existed. He rarely walked a red carpet, made an appearance at a premiere or attended a show business function. But he did exist, and the deep love and respect he showed his wife was instrumental to Parton's perseverance and success throughout her career, Parton told Knox News, part of The USA TODAY Network, in 2024. "There's always that safety, that security, that strength," she said of being with Dean. "He's a good man, and we've had a good life and he's been a good husband." Dean never wanted to be in the spotlight. One night at an awards show in 1966 was enough to convince him that the glitz and glam was not the scene for him. After the event, Dean told his new wife, "I love you, and I will support you in your career any way I can, but I am not going to any more of these wingdings," Parton revealed in her 1994 autobiography, "Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business." From then on, he stayed in the shadows to focus on his real estate dealings and tended to the couple's Nashville ranch, all while shooing away pesky reporters. "He never wanted to be part of any of that, never did interviews. (He) would just run like a scalded dog. If somebody said, 'Are you Carl Dean? Can you answer a few questions?' 'No, I don't answer questions,'" Parton told Knox News while imitating Dean. But Parton shared glimpses of her mysterious husband and their marriage throughout her career, in interviews, on social media and in her music. "Jolene," one of Parton's signature songs, is partly based on a bank teller who flirted with Dean, according to She wrote "Just Because I'm a Woman" after Dean expressed disappointment she'd been with other men before they married. Dean is featured on the cover of her album 'My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy' (1969). Dean also was the inspiration behind other songs, including "From Here to the Moon and Back," "Forever Love," "Say Forever You'll Be Mine" and "Tomorrow is Forever." According to Parton's social media post Monday, Dean will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by immediate family.
