Magnet Theatre was started by Jennie Reznek and Mark Fleishman. Mandla Mbothwe joined the company as a director in 2000. The Board of Trustees of The Magnet Theatre Educational Trust is: Mark Fleishman, Zayd Minty, Gillian Mitchell, Mandla Mbothwe, Yolanda Methvin, Neo Muyanga, Edgar Pieterse and Jennie Reznek. Trainees 2008-2009 Trainees 2010-2011

Mark Fleishman (Director and Managing Trustee) is an Associate Professor and Head of the Drama Department at the University of Cape Town. He is an award winning director and has directed all of Magnet Theatre’s productions since THE SHOW’S NOT OVER ‘TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS. He also functions as a writer, not only of theatre texts but has published many academic articles, mainly on South African theatre. Mandla Mbothwe (Director and Trustee) is a lecturer in the Drama Department at the University of Cape Town. Before joining Magnet, Mandla directed a number of productions with strong community roots such as BEYOND SILENCE, NOT A PRISON and 9437 TO STADT. He was the Artistic co-ordinator for Sithi@Baxter and a director of the Garage Theatre Company. Mandla co-ordinated the Community Groups Intervention project in Khayelitsha for 7 years. He now creates and directs Magnet productions such as INGCWABA LENDODA and INXEBA LOMPHILISI.

Jennie Reznek (Director and Trustee) is a graduate of UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN Drama school and studied in Paris with Jacques Lecoq for two years. She is a director of Magnet Theatre and lecturer in movement at University of Cape Town. She has worked as an aerialist and clown in the circus; a movement director and choreographer; a puppeteer with Handspring Puppet Company and has performed in many productions of new South African plays. Faniswa Yisa (Resident Performer) graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Performer's Diploma in Speech and Drama in 2000. She has performed in a variety of theatre productions and films in Cape Town. She joined The Mothertongue Project in February 2001, co-creating and performing in UNKULUNKULU THE SOVEREIGN ONE, BEADING MY SOUL and INDAWO YAMAPHUPHA – THE SPACE OF DREAMS. Faniswa first worked for Magnet Theatre on the touring production THE FIRE RAISERS in 2004. She has been a resident performer with magnet since 2008.

Margie Pankhurst (Administrator) graduated from UCT with a Performer’s Diploma in 1983. She worked as an actress both in Cape Town and Johnannesburg, also as an Actor’s Agent and she owned her own Casting Director’s business for nine years. Margie worked for Artscape between 2005 and 2009, when she joined Magnet Theatre. Sherna Botto (Production Manager) joined Magnet Theatre in 2009 and has travelled with the company as Stage Manager on several productions. Sherna graduated from UCT with a BA Theatre and Performance in Theatremaking in 2008. She worked as The Resident Stage Manager at The New Space Theatre in 2008- 2009. She also received a diploma in Tourism Management from Varsity College in 2000 and worked for South African Airways from 2000 – 2005.

Lavona De Bruyn (Fieldworker) left the teaching profession in 2005 to embark on a new and exciting journey to study Drama at the University of Cape Town. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Applied Drama and Theatre Studies from the University of Cape Town and joined Magnet Theatre in 2009 to develop theatre activities in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape. Frances Marek (Project Manager) graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2005 with a BA Theatre and Performance in Theatremaking –writing, acting and directing. Since graduating she has worked as an actor, writer, director and stage manager in Cape Town and Johannesburg. She has been at Magnet since 2009 as assistant to Mark Fleishman.