Danai Gurira’s Family Riots to premiere in Zimbabwe

Gurira, an award-winning playwright and actress, is the executive artistic director of Almasi Collaborative Arts.

Family Riots, a play that explores the ambitions, aspirations and unresolved wounds of young Zimbabwean families, is set to premiere in the country next month, courtesy of Almasi Collaborative Arts, a production hub owned by American-Zimbabwean actress Danai Gurira.

Gurira, an award-winning playwright and actress, is the executive artistic director of Almasi Collaborative Arts.

Produced by Gideon Jeph Wabvuta, Family Riots will premiere between November 15 and 24 at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare.

Tickets are selling at US$10 per audience member.

Directed jointly by US visiting artist Lucie Tiberghien and Zimbabwean Makomborero Theresa Muchemwa, the production will feature the talents of Zimbabwean actors.

Wabvuta is a talented alumnus of Almasi’s programmes, who through Almasi’s Walter Mparutsa Fellowship matriculated with a Master’s Degree in Dramatic Writing at University of Southern California.

Family Riots has earned distinguished mention for the Rosa Parks and Kennedy Centre in 2019 and was showcased at the New Works Two Festival at USC in Southern California.

“Family Riots is a play that explores the ambitions, aspirations and unresolved wounds of a young family in Mbare,” Wabvuta said.

“It follows the conflicts of family relationships in Zimbabwe during the late 1990s.

“The play delves into the lives of Sidney and Primrose, a couple whose once-idyllic life unravels due to financial strain and personal secrets.

“It offers a provoking interrogation on the human condition in a rapidly changing society.

“The play taps into the nostalgia of everyday Zimbabwean life in that era, blending reflection with a deep sense of familiarity for those who lived through it.”

Wabvuta equated the play to the August Wilson play, entering us into a bold era of Zimbabwean storytelling.

Tiberghien is a decorated American theatre director while Muchemwa has been a part of Almasi’s previous dramatic initiatives.

Tiberghien has spent 15 years developing and directing new plays both in New York City and across the US

Her notable achievements include directing world premieres at prestigious theatres suc as La Jolla Playhouse, CATF, Second Stage, Rattlestick Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Kansas City Rep, and Manhattan Class Company.

Muchemwa is a director, playwright, and award-winning independent filmmaker based in Zimbabwe.

A bold and versatile creative, she has collaborated on numerous projects with film, arts, and human rights organisations.

Her passion for storytelling through performance drives her fascination with the transformative power of text on stage.

Family Riots attests to the uniqueness of the Almasi process in nurturing talent, fostering cross-cultural collaboration towards making compelling pieces of dramatic performance.

A team of production designers, technical experts, actors and directors, many of whom have been trained through Almasi initiatives, are collaborating in the creation of the play.

“The audience is guaranteed of a resonant experience, harkening a new era of placing Zimbabwean born narratives on the global stage,” the production team said in a statement.

Gurira has featured in Walking Dead and Black Panther while her ground-breaking Tony Award winning play on Broadway (Eclipsed) and other works exemplify her commitment to amplifying untold African stories.

Gurira’s leadership sets the vision for Almasi and ensures Family Riots finds its rightful place on the global stage.

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