Editorial Team
Publication Date
February 2, 2018
Tatenda Kanengoni, GPJ Zimbabwe
Actors from the University of Zimbabwe perform an adaptation of American playwright August Wilson's "Fences" in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — A coffee table dotted with teacups and circled by chairs is positioned at the center of the stage.
A winter-white wedding gown hangs on a clothing rack in the background.
It’s nearly 6 p.m., and the stage at Theatre in the Park is ready for the evening’s suspense-filled production of “Double Funeral.”
Hundreds of people will gather here to watch a nine-member cast bring to life the story of bride-to-be Matilda and her ex-boyfriend, Jockoniah, who threatens to expose her past and family secrets to stop her from getting married. To thwart Jockoniah’s plan, Matilda consults her relatives, but she discovers even more secrets.
“This is a social commentary; things are happening in our society,” says Thulani Mbambo, writer and director of the play. “By not being honest with each other, you give ammunition to the evil people who will take that and use it against you.”
“Double Funeral” is one of more than 39 productions held at Theatre in the Park since its inception in March 2016. At Harare Gardens in the heart of the city, the canopy-like structure, made from heavy-duty tarp, is the first theater built since 1980 in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, says Daves Guzha, founder of Theatre in the Park.
The Reps Theatre, one of the nation’s oldest, was founded in 1931, long before Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. During the colonial era, Harare was home to 400,000 people, he says, but now one theater is not enough to accommodate the growing urban population of nearly 2.2 million, according to the most recent national census in 2012.
Guzha says this is why Theatre in the Park was built here. Its central location provides ease of access for theater lovers in the city. There is at least one scheduled production each month, including dramas in English or the local languages of Shona and Ndebele. Tickets for a play or show range from $1 to $5.
The theater is also available to the city’s residents for other events. With a seating capacity of 500, the venue is used for album-launch concerts, weddings, church meetings and roundtable discussions. Renting the space helps Guzha cover utility costs. However, serving local theater troupes remains a priority, and they are given rehearsal space free of charge, he says.
The location helps local actors and actresses gain exposure to large audiences. But, even with free rehearsals and a central location, they say the theater industry is tough to break into, because there are not many opportunities for employment.
“It’s not easy, but we are managing to survive with the little that we are getting,” says actress Nomvuyiso Mpofu Mabi.
However, Guzha, a former actor, says there is a lot of potential. He hopes to use digital technology to create improved and interactive viewer experiences. Livestreaming of plays at the theater will soon become available for a small fee, he says.
For more information: Upcoming plays are featured on the Theatre in the Park Facebook page. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.
Tatenda Kanengoni, GPJ, translated some interviews from Shona.
