admin
Entertainment Reporter
United States-based Zimbabwean actress Danai Gurira is in Zimbabwe to oversee the production of one of her plays, “The Convert”.
The award-winning actress, who jetted into the country last week from her American base, started working with the cast soon after her arrival. Directed by an American director, Adam Immerwahr, the play will run from December 10 to December 24 and will feature a coterie of local talented actors among them well- known local comedian Michael Kudakwashe, Charmaine Mujeri and Tafadzwa Bob Mutumbi. In an interview over the weekend, Gurira said she was excited about the play, saying it comes at a time when Zimbabwe is fighting hard to address colonial injustices.
“It feels good to be working on this production. Everyone is excited about how the play has been going on so far,” she said.
Set amid the scramble for Southern Africa in 1895, “The Convert” tells the tale of Jekesai, a young girl who escapes a forced marriage arrangement with the help of a stalwart black African catechist, Chilford Ndlovu.
Caught between her loyalties to her family and culture but indebted to this new Christian God, she becomes Chilford’s protégé, but when an anti-colonial uprising erupts she is forced to decide which side of the conflict she will choose — and where her heart truly belongs. With wit and compassion, “The Convert” explores the untold cultural and religious collisions caused by British colonists in this part of Southern Africa, and the reverberating effects still felt in the region today. With an urgent voice, both heart-rending and humorous, the Obie Award winner who has featured in two other enthralling plays, “In the Continuum” and “Eclipsed”, brings yet another faraway world to enlighten, enrage and ultimately edify audiences. Born in the United States and raised in Zimbabwe, Gurira’s unique perspective and distinctive voice have created a compelling new play filled with humour and compassion.
Winner of six Oviation awards, the 2012 Stavis Award, the 2012 Edgerton Foundation New American Plays Award, the 2012 Whiting Award and the 2013 LA Drama Critics Circle Writing Award, “The Convert” is currently playing at the Wilma Theatre in the Philadelphia, PA.
Gurira’s ingenuity is not only confined to theatre alone, but she has made her mark on both the small and big screens, where has featured in a number of productions. She featured in “The Visitor”, “Mother of George”, “My Soul to Take” and “Walking Dead”, where she plays the role Michonne, the zombie slayer.
Online Reporter