Sometimes you seem like you are being so careful” reads a line from my end of Mentee Directors Training Evaluation of 11 December 2014 by my esteemed mentor Julia Wharton “Miss Julie”. I was eager to work more on this as I developed my directing techniques over the past two years, and to let this reflect, especially, in my play choices.
Read MoreThe artist in me was drawn to August Wilson the first time I read Fences. The actor in me wanted to play Troy so much. I wanted to just wear his strength, passion and freedom just once, but well I was/still am too young for that role.
Read MoreIn 2013, I had the opportunity to be part of the Almasi playwrights intensive workshop with Nikkole Salter. This workshop changed the way I thought about playwrighting, so whenever I would stand up and talk about playwrighting I was coming from an informed point of view. Fast forward 3 years later, I’m asked to hold a 5-day playwriting workshop for a group of school leavers in Glen View.
Read MoreI walked gingerly into the rehearsal room for Danai’s play “Familiar,” delighted that I had been allowed to become the proverbial fly on the wall (or so I thought) for this off-Broadway play at Playwrights Horizons. After meeting the playwright, director and incredibly talented cast, I sat quietly in a corner to observe.
Read MoreWhen I received the Almasi’s cultural exchange artist grant I was thrilled. I also knew very well that I was embarking on one of the most challenging chapters of my life. Despite that, I had made up my mind: it was time for me to take this giant leap and apply for grad school. Almasi workshops had awoken in me a deep desire to be fully immersed in an acting program.
Read MoreFrom January 2016 to March 2016 Almasi presented Zimbabwean playwrights in the process of developing their plays; a platform for them to receive feedback on their works in progress through a series of writers' dialogues. Plays from participating playwrights were read by local actors to a small invited audience.
Read MoreI am a writer who works on a thousand things at the same time, up to the point that I write 4-5 plays at the same time (or rather I draft 5 plays and really focus on 1). So when I got the chance to present my latest work, family riots, at the Almasi writers’ dialogue I was thrilled. I had a testing ground for my new work.
Read MoreMy stay in New York has been so very rewarding and eye opening. Despite the fact that I left an intense heat wave in Harare to be welcomed by a blizzard in New York, I think I have adjusted pretty well to the weather! Soon after I arrived in New York, I met my acting coach, Susan, in person. I had my first couple of lessons with her on Skype, as she began assisting me long distance in preparation for my grad school monologues.
Read MoreI have been working with Almasi since its first staged reading, A Raisin in the Sun, when I was still a theatre student at the University of Zimbabwe. From the reading, I was fortunate to be accepted into the playwrights intensive which was run by Nikkole Salter. There I was selected as the participant who was to be mentored by Nikkole. This was followed by another staged reading of The Convert, directed by Danai Gurira.
Read MoreMy passion lies in primarily telling stories through the body. My desire is to see the body profoundly communicate that which we are sometimes shy or afraid to speak. I was honored to have been selected by Almasi Collaborative Arts to lead a seven-day physical theatre lab, an exploration focusing on character creation and development.
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