Pages

Looking for something? Search It Here

Showing posts with label Arts and Drama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arts and Drama. Show all posts

Monday, April 22, 2013

‘Shackles of Doom’s Day’ At The 2013 Kenya National Drama Festival

MOMBASA, KENYA: The day started with amber sun rays piercing through the large Arabian windows that ventilate the Aga Khan High School auditorium. And as the clock ticked, theatre lovers continued to troop in numbers never seen before during the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
It was as if a Broadway Production was coming to town from Manhattan, New York City.
The fete’s organisers had their crowd control skills put to the test, with a huge battalion of police officers brought in to help maintain order as the sea of humanity turned out to watch Shackles of Doom. For an auditorium with a capacity of 400, it was obvious some of the over 2,000 people gathered outside the auditorium would be disappointed.
“Haki Yetu! Haki Yetu!,” was all they could say after realising their efforts to secure seats failed to bear fruit.And finally the time for Butere Girls’ students to take to the stage came as the adjudicators’ bell rang.The usually easy air turned tense and the arrival of human rights advocate and Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar did not make things any better.
“We have been good to you but you are so heartless. You came and took away our land as our husbands veins drains in labour,” came one of the stinging lines from the play as the young thespians got down to business.
This is the acid reaction by True Kanas to Mrs Kimani’s announcement of the new employees of the newly established Mafuta Oil Company.All plum jobs but those of labourers go to members of one community. Kimani, the proprietor of the land bought from the True Kanas, tries to assuage locals by appointing Lopush, a resident, as a watchman.This does not go down well with the residents, but Kimani cannot hear none of their complaints.Kimani’s meanness is further highlighted when he forcefully demanding to ‘sleep’ with Lopush’s bride on the eve of their wedding.
 Deafening applause
“Let me explain. I didn’t have anything with Kimani,” tries to explain Wamaitha, Lopush’s bride, after the groom busts them in his house. By this time, the audience is silent and their empathy for Lopush is manifest in the applause and deafening cheers. But payback time comes when Mafuta Oil Company catches fire and Kimani’s wife and the rest of the management from his community are trapped inside. Ironically, the person with key, Lopush, had just been unceremoniously expelled by Kimani. Kimani starts begging and as True Kanas realise he is helpless, they corner him. “Lynch him! It is payback time!” “Please for the sake of humanity, let me free, and open the gates!,” cries subdued Kimani.
“But when you took all position and left as slaves didn’t’ you think of humanity? Or when you denied us time out of work, or too all the land and siphoned all the profits, or even when you let effluence into the environment and our women miscarry and men die of Cancer?” asks a True Kana woman as the audience applause. But a voice of reason comes in and one of the community members pleads for forgiveness on his behalf. As the curtain falls on this controversial and much awaited piece, there is a standing ovation and in the Nigerian style, they all go Igwe! Igwe! Igwe! Banning of the play “This play is about us why ban it in the first place? What the drama committee was to have us burry our heads in the sand,” observes John Paul Wafula, a producer at the festival.
Senator Omar concurred: “These children are not destroying society, they are building it. They have raised fundamental issues afflicting us such as police brutality, tribalism, and unequal distribution of resources.”The National Cohesion and Integration Commission Vice Chairperson Milly Lwanga urged those who took offence with the choice of names to face reality and join other Kenyans in appreciating the root causes of national conflict.
“We are glad the play was finally staged,’ she said after watching the play. She denied that NCIC had any hand in the ban as had been earlier rumoured.
And the girls themselves were a proud lot. “I felt we brought it out well. I am happy we drove the point home,” said one of the actresses Mercy Mulama.

News Categories

Latest Kenyan News Shocking News Celebrity News Breaking News Kenya Lifestyle News National News Latest News Big Brother Africa Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga Sports Breaking News World News The Chase Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta People's Opinion and Views CORD Motivational CORD Politics From The Supreme Court RIP Hon Mutula Kilonzo Kethi Kilonzo Mutula Kilonzo Kenya Drama Festivals Education News From The Kenyan Courts JUBILEE Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka ICC Suspects Kenya Mourns Mutula Kilonzo ODM Politics Business News IEBC Kenyan Elections 2013 Latest News From The Kenyan Supreme Court Mombasa News The Jubilee Cabinet Secretaries Health News International News The Jubilee Cabinet The New Kenyan Cabinet Warning Huddah Monroe International News and Politics Kenyan Mentors Nairobi Politics The New Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries World Cup Banking Jobs Barrack Obama Director Jobs Dr. Evans Odhiambo Kidero English Premier League France From The Rest of The World Hon. Moses Wetangula Hon. William Ruto Kenyan Condolences Kenyan Politics Manager Job Positions National Security Propaganda Technology The HIV Fight World Events Arsenal Football Club Azimio La Umoja Brazil 2014 Business Resources Churchil Show County Politics Food For Thought Football Jaguar Jubilee Politics Kenyan Mourns Latest Political News Local Media and Entertainment Morocco Musalia Mudavadi News From Counties Qatar2022 Sad News TNA Politics The Late Hon Mutula Kilonzo Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet Uhuru Kenyatta's New Look Cabinet Ann Mbaru Argentina Business Reviews Croatia Daniel Owira Encouragement England Eunice Nthenya Gadgets Innternational News Inspirational Insurance Jobs Just For Laughs KCPE News KCSE Results Kenya National Examination Council Martha Karua Media and Journalism Jobs Miguna Miguna Mike Mbuvi Sonko Nairobi County Nairobi County News News Peoples Opinion Picture Speak Portugal President Uhuru Kenyatta Quotable Quotes Resources Rumours Sales and Marketing Jobs Team Leaders Jobs The Forth President Of The Republic Of Kenya The Otonglo Boy UDA Valentine Day Wayne Rooney WorldCup 2022 #Occupy Parliament 14TH March A Must Read AFCON 2024 ANC Accounting and Finance Jobs Aden Duale Africa's Greatest Alfred Mutua Ali Hassa Joho America Mourns Andrew Sunkuli Arts and Drama Azimio Brazil Business Administration Jobs Call Center and BPO Jobs Casemiro Chief Justice Willy Mutunga Christine Khasinah-Odero Communication Skills Computers Corruption Cristiano Ronaldo Customer Service Jobs David Moyes Decision 2013 Donald Trump EAC News East African News Ecitizen Services Elections Elections2017 English Premier League Table Entertainment and Showbiz Financial Institution Jobs Forbes List Ford Kenya Francis Kimemia Freemason From The Kenyan Hospitals From The Pulpit Funny Moments Germany Football Team Gideon Moi Groove Awards Kenya Help Corner Higher Education Loans Board How To Human Resources Jobs IT Jobs Imperial Bank Group Insecurity Insurance Claims Jadon Sancho Jobs and Employment Opportunities Julie Gichuru KANU Politics KCPE 2014 Results KCPE 2016 Results KCPE 2018 Results Kenya Elections 2022 Kenya Government Services Kenya Kwanza Kenya Labour Day Celebrations Kenyan 2013 Disputed Presidential Election Kenyan Blogs Kenyan Media Kenyan's Speak Kidero's Cabinet Koigi Wa Wamwere Kylian Mbappe Larry Madowo Law Enforcement Jobs Legal Jobs Leicester City Loans and Bursaries London Meet Love Manenos Manchester United Margaret Kenyatta Margaret Wambui Media and Arts Mobile Phones Moses Wetangula Music Mutula Kilonzo Jnr Nairobi Governor Nairobi Senate Nelson Mandela Netherlands Neymar Personal Advise Peter Munya Peter Nduati Planning and Logistics Jobs Pokello Nare Praise and Worship Product Reviews Relationship Management Jobs Reports and Analysis Resolution Insurance Russia Sabasaba Sacco Jobs Soccer Social Media Spain Speeches Surveying Jobs Switzerland Technician Jobs The Governor Seat The Talking Point Thiago Silva Tragic News UDF Politica URP Politics USA Ugandan Celebrities Uhuru Kenyata in UK Vladimir Putin Who Killed Mutula Kilonzo Who is Who in Kenya William Ruto Wiper Democratic Party Wycliffe Oparanya Youtube bitcoin chelsea fc cryptocurrencies cryptocurrency digital money kenyan poli southampton fc