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Kudzai Sevenzo

Sophia Chese Arts Correspondent
Songbird Kudzai Sevenzo will this Saturday feature on Danai Gurira’s stage reading of Lynn Nottage’s play, “Fabulation (The Re-education of Udine)”. The play is part of Almasi Collaborative Arts project that seeks to bring various international theatre productions to the local stage.

In an interview with The Herald Entertainment, the organisation’s spokesperson Tawanda Mupatsi said the organisation has set aside a number of stage reading series to be done during the year.

“The staged reading is going to be the foretaste of the series of staged readings that Almasi has set-aside this year,

“It will be directed by Patience Tawengwa, a polished practitioner who has added a sparkle on the Zimbabwean theatre scene with productions under her brand that have made it on international platforms,” he said.

He said the upcoming stage reading of Lynn Nottage’s “Fabulation (The Re-education of Undine)” is set in New York and it chronicles the life of a woman (Undine) who, after attaining a degree, decides to forsake her identity and family because she is embarrassed with her humble beginnings in the ghetto.

“Undine establishes a prosperous public relations firm, life dramatically takes a sour turn as her trophy husband makes off with her hard earned fortune.

“She is left bankrupt, pregnant and she finds herself back in the ghetto in the company of her family. There, misfortune seems to continuously haunt her. Battered and in despair her hope dawns in the least expected places and life takes a new meaning. The series of unfortunate events are threaded in a comic fashion,” he said.

Director of the film, Tawengwa, said the film is a Zimbabwean story making it easy for audience to relate to it. Francis Nyakuhwa, Angelle Hoffa, Musa Saruro, Thandiwe Nyamasvisva, James Mukwindidza and Brighton Ndlovu are also part of the cast.

Almasi Collaborative Arts’ vision is to contribute to professionalising the dramatic arts industry in Zimbabwe through education and collaboration with professional American dramatic artists and artistic institutions as it also seeks to take the African dramatic voice to the whole world.