admin
very crucial exhibition of a large diversity of the cultural expressions of the world and has in the process become a critical and very practical platform for Zimbabwe to implement comprehensively the Unesco’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
One of the most exciting things about Hifa 2013 has been its very commendable act of bringing home several Zimbabwean performing artistes who are gracing the world and proudly raising high our cultural diversity flag .
One such Zimbabwean who has raised highly Zimbabwe’s theatre flag in different parts of the world is Tsungai Garise who is leading a group of thespians from Sudan, Kenya and Zambia in a theatre production “Desperate Love” that featured on April 30 — the BancABC Day.
Garise is without doubt a young Zimbabwean whose prolific theatre work has received less attention from Zimbabwean media than it deserves.
He is a theatre professional of a rare breed and a highly-gifted theatre practitioner with an sense of commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of perfecting his theatre skills mostly produced though very creative collaborations and rich exchange of theatre experiences.
In 1996, Garise left Zimbabwe for the United Kingdom where he was involved in cultural exchange programmes of the Carribean Development Foundation.
In this programme, he worked with artisets from different European countries.
In 1997 he co-ordinated a Europe-Zambia-Zimbabwe exchange programme of the CDF which brought to Zimbabwe for a 21 day, cultural exchange artistes from Britain, Spain, Italy, France and the Carribean countries.
The programme was reciprocated in 1998 with Zambian and Zimbabwean artistes travelling to Europe.
Living in Europe and Africa, Garise has been working in theatre, film and music.
In Zambia, he first worked with the Peace Centre Theatre Group that staged four francophone plays.
The group comprised refugees from Congo, Burundi Somalia and Angola at Mahembe Refugee Camp.
Working with 200 performers in the camp is what initially attracted Garise to Zambia.
He explained: “I was attracted to working and using the technique I teach as a healing tool and a method of finding freedom and strength.
“It was very exciting to be in the bush working with people coming from warring environments and enabling them to see a glimmer of hope and happiness.”
Garise also used this method in working with similar groups in South Africa , Germany and the Czech Republic.
Garise explained that the play “Desperate Love” was initially produced and presented to the Avignon Festival in France in 2007 featuring two French actors.
The play was later performed in Paris in 2008.
In the period 2009-2010 the play was staged in English in Zambia featuring Yokwe Sylvano (Sudanese) and Luse Kaibele (Zambian).
In the period 2011-2012, the play was performed featuring a Kenyan actor, Jack Chenge.
The three actors have been Garise’s acting students and have all performed in several of his plays.
Currently Garise is working in Zambia with groups and individuals and producing a play every month.
He explained: “We are going to slow down and produce a play every two months to give us enough time to make short films.
“We are currently working on a big film that will be produced by German filmmakers with an international production crew but acted by Zambians and directed by a Zambian.”
Asked to indicate what he finds exciting in Zambian theatre, Garise said: “Zambian theatre is exciting because we have an opportunity to be part of change taking place in the Zambian theatre practice.
“It is a challenge to make theatre in the Zambian environment because one has to work at all levels: To train actors and the audiences to understand theatre.
“This strengthens the artistes but very frustrating too because one has to be constantly teaching, motivating and finding immediate solutions to problems.
Recently when our lead actor fell ill, we swapped, exchanged and tried five different actors in a space of three days.
“Zambian theatre is both raw and sophisticated depending on where you go to watch performances. But what is exciting is the fact that our people, African people get very inspired when they identify with themselves in the stories being told and are very appreciative. The only challenge is bringing them to the theatre.”
Commenting on Zimbabwean theatre on the other hand, Garise said: “I love theatre and Zimbabwe has been my source.
“I think for Zimbabwean theatre to go forward from where it is, we need more specialised training in writing different forms of theatrical productions.
“We need specialised training in acting, producing, marketing, lighting, sound, stage décor etc. We need to tie theatre to our African rituals and ceremonies for stage performance in order to make sense to those who distance themselves from the word ‘theatre’ as this word is associated with foreign influence.”
Garise concluded his remarks about theatre in Zambia and Zimbabwe by indicating that there was not enough theatre exchange between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
“I do not think there is enough theatre exchange between Southern African countries at all.
“We need to make it easy for theatre artistes to stage plays in Southern Africa by creating special conditions of entry into the countries for theatre artists. The industry is still very young and we must relax on fees and charges. We need more co-productions.”
Feedback; [email protected]
Online Reporter