Stephen Chifunyise Theatre Corridors
Every year the theatre programme of the Harare International Festival of the Arts  provides a valuable and diverse theatre.
To many theatre practitioners, the Hifa theatre programme is a laboratory of theatre ideas, practices, concepts and

techniques. This is why theatre practitioners have to choose theatre performances they believe will be platforms for such a laboratory.
This year Stanley Makuwe’s concept of a 24-hour theatre challenge brought to Hifa by Black Maid Productions and Hiserve Productions proved to be a very valuable theatre laboratory and an exciting theatre experience.

Advertised as the “most spontaneous and unpredictable theatre show”, 24-Hour Theatre Challenge was one of the 17 items on the Hifa 2012 theatre programme held at four venues — 7 Arts Theatre, Reps Theatre, Reps Theatre Upstairs and Standard Theatre that is housed within the Dutch Reformed Church premises.
Stanley Makuwe produced the show with the assistance of Eunice Tava.
The 24-Hour Theatre Challenge involved the engagement of five playwrights, five directors, and 15 actors to produce and present to the        public five 10-minute plays in the space of 24 hours.

At 8.15pm on May 3 five writers — Larry Kurirayi, Patrick Chasaya, Elizabeth Muchemwa, Priviledge Mutendera and Felix Mutasa — were given a theme (“Coming to Zimbabwe — the World of Wonders”) and told to submit their scripts the following morning at 7am.
At 8.15am on May 4, the scripts were handed over to five directors — Leeroy Gono, Sylvanos Mudzvova, Tafadzwa Muzondo, Tafadzwa Hananda and Charles Matare.
With three actors each, the directors began rehearsing their plays and were expected to stage them at 8.15pm that very day.

At 8.15pm, the Hifa theatre audience that filled to capacity the Reps Theatre Upstairs to watch the  penultimate  part of the 24-Hour Theatre Challenge, included a large group of curious and highly anticipating theatre practitioners — writers, directors, actors  and  producers.
Despite its inability to accommodate the many curious theatre lovers Reps Theatre Upstairs was, however, a most appropriate platform for the consumption of the

public performance of the 50 minutes of magnificent and thrilling theatre.

It featured some of the most prominent Zimbabwean film, television and stage stars — Chipo Bizure, Evangelista Mwatse, Zenso Nyathi, Marian Kunonga, Teddy Mangava, Caroline Mashingaidze, Delma Chiwerera, Lovejoy Mawoneka, Getrude Munhamo, Gideon Wabvuta, Nonthando Nobengula.
And Judith Tsoka as well as new brilliant entrants to the stage —  Vimbai Mutinhiri, Tabeth Kandi and Tonderai Hakuna.

At the end of the show, a two-member adjudication panel asked the audience to indicate their choices according to the specific categories of best actor, best actress, best script, best director, best costume and best production.
It was interesting that the judges’ choices of winners were in most cases similar to those of the audience who shouted their choices enthusiastically.

The winners of best script —  Felix Mutasa and the best director — Charles Matare — walked away happily and thankfully with laptops while the rest of the winners took home cash prizes. The following were the other winners: best actor — Zenso Nyathi and Gedion Wabvuta as runner- up; best actress — Tabeth Kandi and Vimbai Mutinhiri.

The award for best production went to a play directed by Silvanos Mudzvova and the best costume award went to a production directed by Larry Kwirirayi
The 24-Hour Theatre Challenge was a very innovative theatre concept, which clearly showed that it deserves to be a regular feature of Hifa.
All other arts and culture festivals will be wise to consider inviting Stanley Makuwe to feature this concept  in their theatre programmes.

With adequate sponsorship the project would at each of festival become a workshop in performance that capacity builds playwrights, directors, and actors while offering audiences active participation in evaluating the instantly created theatre products.
The concept is a bold creative challenge to the large diversity of the theatre professionals and to new entrance into the theatre.

In Hifa 2012 the 24-Hour Theatre Challenge, there were new entrants to the theatre industry who made a big impact in their 10-minute exposure.
The challenge was a very successful audition to the theatre stage for Tibet Kandi and Vimbai Mutinhiri who won the best actress and runners-up awards respectively.

The playwrights were mostly recent entrants into the playwriting scene with Patrick Chasaya having emerged into the playwriting scene last year. The assignment to write for the 24-Hour Theatre Challenge is itself a test on how to handle commissioned work.
When the five playwrights see the diverse ways they have handled the same prescribed theme they recognised their own range of talent and of creativity which is requisite for a vibrant and viable theatre.

Whoever was lucky to witness the 2012 Hifa 24-Hour Theatre Challenge performances of five plays will agree that the show demonstrated clearly that there should be no reason for the shortage of new plays for theatre producers or theatre houses if such projects begin a regular feature of our arts and culture festivals.
Equally exemplified by the project was the abundance of creative playwrights who should          be able to provide a wide selection of plays for such projects as Hifa

Direct, which this year seemed to have struggled to secure plays of creative quality for the prime stage offered by Hifa.
Equally clear was the fact that the 24-Hour Theatre Challenge approach vividly demonstrated that many plays of high quality, meaning and relevance to the Hifa stage could be secured through a similar process that could be commissioned as a strategy of producing Zimbabwean theatre that would be

adequately  rehearsed and be ready to the advantage of the Hifa stage to exhibit its viability, versatility and a wide range of creative dimensions that will ensure that the Hifa theatre programmes remain a   crowd puller and a highly satisfying cultural experience.

It was not just the number of actors, directors and writers that produced an evening of enthralling theatre that the 24-Hour Theatre Challenge was, it was the highly participatory audience that the concept produced that makes it a unique theatre experience.

Feedback: Stephen.chifunyise@gmail.com