From the 13th to the 25th of January 2020, Almasi held the Almasi African Playwrights Conference at Reps Theatre, Harare. Led by Sasha Emerson the conference had the participation of three Zimbabwean playwrights Blessing Musariri, Farai Mabeza and Makanaka Mavengere. Almasi Water Muparutsa Fellow Gideon Jeph Wabvuta served as Dramaturge.
Read MoreWhen I read this play for the first time, I fell in love with the idea that a serious topic was finally being told not only using comedy – but in a place we are all familiar with; the school ground.
Read MoreFamiliar By Danai Gurira is a master piece. A gem, A masterclass in writing and storytelling in general. It is deep. It is FUNY! It is indicting. It is very very FAMILIAR!! I relate a LOT to the characters, the story, the mask and the world of this play. The first time I read it, I had a real gutsy visceral response. Real great things happened to my soul, my mind and my body when I was reading it. It is a very exciting world to be in.
Read MoreI was quite excited when the staged reading of The Last of the Suns by Alice Tuan was given the green light. Alice and I had been engaged in conversation on each other’s work since she came to Zimbabwe in January 2018...
Read MoreThe intricacies of writing are such that the fool, who dares to call themselves a writer, must endure the ordeal of pursuing reality in its transcendent state. Such a voyage is precarious and unforgiving. It is complex and demanding. It is meaning uncompromised.
Read MoreHaving been part of the first Almasi African Playwrights Conference, I was really looking forward to being part of the 2019 one because I knew, from experience, the value of having a play read and critiqued by directors, actors and other playwrights under the supervision of a dramaturg.
Read MoreMy experience with the Almasi Playwrights Conference is one I will never forget. The play had started off as an aftermath of an albinism awareness campaign that I had been part of. The stories of my interviewees were still fresh in my heart.
Read MoreAs a creator, I have always wanted to see art-works being justly executed and the MICRO director mentorship experience equipped me with a very strong insight and the fundamentals of directing.
Read MoreWell as one of the actors who has been part of the Almasi staged readings since inception, I have obtained vast knowledge in acting, directing and playwriting. With such knowledge l have improved on my craft.
Read MoreI started working with Almasi in 2014 and the experience has been quite enlightening and eye-opening for me as an artist. Almasi through its staged readings and training workshops helped me grow artistically.
Read MoreEver since his first performance as Joseph in a nativity play when he was five years old, Patrick “Millz” Miller’s passion for the arts has steadily been growing. Over two decades after playing this role Millz has been establishing himself as a playwright and performing artist.
Read MoreSince the completion of his Masters in Physical Theatre program at Dell’ Arte School of Physical Theatre California, Tafadzwa has been immersing himself in the Zimbabwean dramatic arts scene.
Read MoreKudzai Sevenzo is a Zimbabwean actress, voice-over artist, singer, and an Almasi fellow. Her career started in music, where she released two albums and later on worked as a tv anchor for Africa’s broadcaster, Mnet’s ‘Studio 53’, which featured the diverse cuisine, ar, and culture of several African countries.
Read MoreIt is not always fun to stand in front of an audience of mostly strangers, acquaintances and a few new friends. It can be nerve-wrecking, well it was for me.
Read MoreIt was fun to work on the staged reading of The Language Archive by Julia Cho. I selected the play because I was interested in many of the issues dealt with in the play. Over the years I have developed a mild interest in languages.
Read MoreMy experience with Familiar rehearsals started with table readings the day after I arrived in Washington D.C. If you have never visited Zimbabwe before, never spoken the language of the characters you are portraying and never been integrated into Zimbabwean culture, you best immerse yourself in research because knowledge is power!
Read MoreHwindi is a comedy TV series that satirizes the immense difficulties Zimbabweans face in their battle to stay alive. On the 20th of April, Harare audiences watched a staged reading of the pilot episode which is the first of a dozen planned episodes. I wanted to do a staged reading with Almasi for a couple of reasons: it offered us an opportunity to experiment with casting and staging, and it also lets us gauge audience response to the script.
Read MoreTwo years ago I had the privilege of conducting a playwriting workshop with the students from Churchill Boys High School and this year I had the same privilege but this time with students from the University of Zimbabwe. The workshop was a three-day workshop and we discussed the elements that make up a story. What I enjoyed the most was the process of using things that surround us to come up with story ideas. The students came up with some creative concepts from things like stones, empty coke cans and chewed ballpoint pens.
Read MoreThe way my year started should have been a sign of things to come. To mark the beginning of 2018 I went mountain climbing (it was my first time and I instantly got hooked); My hike early on the morning of January 1st, 2018 took me up the Jenya mountain range in Mutasa district. It had everything; fear, anxiety, the adrenaline rush, and ultimately pure exhilaration. When I got to the top of the mountain I wanted to stay there forever.
Read MoreIn February of 2017, I was informed I had been selected as one of the ten fellows of the inaugural Georgetown Lab of Politics and Performance. This lab is comprised of ten fellows from all over the world: Cambodia, Palestine, Syria, Colombia, USA, UK, and Zimbabwe. The vision of the lab is to support us fellow in our work and help us find ways to collaborate amongst ourselves in the realm of politics and performance.
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