Rwandan performers and theatre professionals will present three productions at Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee, from October 22 to 25, in a programme bringing together Rwandan and Black American artists through stories of identity, resilience and shared heritage.
The programme, titled We Choose Tomorrow, will feature two productions developed by the Rwandan team and a third created in collaboration with American artists, according to actor and comedian Clapton Kibonge.
“We have three plays that will be performed. Two are ours, and the other is one we will work on with artists from America,” Kibonge told the media.
The Rwandan delegation includes Kibonge, an artist and film actor studying at Mashariki Arts Academy; Simon Iyarwema, whose work spans the arts, film, cultural activities, casting and event production; and Nahimana Clémence, known as Feruje and Shenge, a film producer, director, actor and writer on the radio drama Musekeweya. Guitarist Shyaka A. Adolphe is also part of the group.
The performances form part of an initiative intended to encourage artistic exchange between Rwanda and the United States, allowing practitioners to share experience and introduce audiences to stories shaped by Rwandan culture and society.
One of the productions, Umuganda: The Choice to Live, examines how division can damage relationships and erode a community’s sense of belonging. It also explores the possibility of reconciliation, rebuilding trust and choosing unity after conflict.
The play draws on umuganda, Rwanda’s tradition of community service, using the idea of collective effort to consider how people can work together to rebuild their lives and restore hope.
Another production, Ndabaga, follows a young woman who challenges expectations about the roles and abilities of women. Its central theme is the power of courage and conviction to overcome barriers that others consider insurmountable.
The third work, What We Carry, combines poetry, theatre and dance to explore what people inherit from previous generations, what they choose to leave behind and the values they hope to pass on.
Together, the three works examine how communities respond to hardship, how identity is shaped and how people decide what kind of future they want to create.
The programme also offers an opportunity for Rwandan and Black American artists to develop work together, bringing different cultural experiences and storytelling approaches to the stage.
The performances are scheduled for October 22-25 at Hattiloo Theatre in Memphis as part of its We Choose Tomorrow programme.
