ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 08th Sep, 2021) The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi has announced that it will host world premiere of Theatre For One: We are Here (Nairobi Edition) on September 15, running online on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays until September 26.
The personal theatrical experience takes place in a unique one-on-one format between the audience member and performer, with six micro-plays unfolding live, in a special digital platform.
Expanding on the success of last year’s US production, Theatre for One: We Are Here is a collaboration between The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, the US-based Octopus Theatricals, and Kenya-based Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative and Rainmaker Limited. The performances feature six female Kenyan playwrights/actors and include Kenyan directors and producers collaborating across borders.
The six world premiere plays capture a cross-section of the Kenyan theater scene, and examine the liminal space between ancestry and civilization, the real and the surreal, the inner being, and our external existence, asking questions such as how we show up bare and vulnerable in these unusual times whilst carrying the energy of the other within us.
Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Centre at NYUAD Bill Bragin said, "We are delighted to announce the return of Theatre for One to The Arts Center. This unique digital platform gives us a way to cross borders and deepen The Arts Centre’s ties with the Kenyan theatre community, building on the UAE’s strong links with East Africa. Working with the Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative and Rainmaker Limited, together with Octopus Theatricals, has proved to be a fruitful collaboration that expands the cross-border dimensions of The Arts Center’s work further than ever. Rather than looking at the obstacles that the performing arts are currently facing, this project is a great example of creative ingenuity, using technology to advance the work of the field globally. We’re especially excited to have a transnational creative and production team, all working together to share their unique knowledge and experience."
Associate Producing Director of the Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative and Creative Producer for Theatre for One Nairobi Edition Karishma Bhagani added, "It is an honour to help bring the Nairobi edition of Theatre for One to life. Having been born and raised in Mombasa, Kenya, and as a graduate of New York University’s Tisch school of the Arts, I have always had a keen interest in expanding performance opportunities and the arts sector within East Africa. To do this in conjunction with NYUAD is a dream opportunity that draws together these varied influences. Theatre For One elevates a vibrant chorus of voices that are deeply resonant nationally and internationally, and creates deeply personal works that resonate in this shared moment."
Artistic Director at Theatre for One Christine Jones said, "The idea of building a bond through the experience of a unique digital performance has resonated deeply with audiences in the US and middle East. This season, it has been very gratifying to take these very intimate connections and then share them across continents and cultures. To engage with amazingly talented performers, writers, and directors in Nairobi, as well as the team at The Arts Centre, has been a privilege and a joy. The result is theatre for one, made by many, and seen by more."
