A GLOBAL LOOK AT NEW WORKS
New plays across the globe are flipping the script on audiences and their preconceived notions of theatre in their respective regions. These new works breathe life into traditional theatrical modes through their refreshed takes on familiar ideas.
In Darling Grenadine, Daniel Zaitchik has riffed on the traditions of the American musical (see “Types and Tropes in the Golden Age Musical” on pages 4-5). This writer has looked to the history of his own culture and found a form to both respect and innovate, creating a very modern musical that stands on its own. Zaitchik is not alone in this impulse. The following are pieces, companies, and initiatives from around the world that are reenergizing their own cultures’ theatrical norms.
YAKSHAGANA IN INDIA
In India, the Dramatist Anonymous Theatre Company recently produced Akshayambara. This new play modernizes Yakshagana, a popular folk theatre form in the Karnataka region. Yakshagana is often regarded for its music, colorful costumes, dynamic dance movements, subtle expressions, and unscripted dialogue. It is also known for being a male-dominated practice. Dramatist Anonymous employed the theatrical tactic of role reversal to reimagine the plot of the Yakshaganic classic Draupadi Vastrapaharana to create a contemporary narrative that examines gender roles. Although they use different tactics, Akshayambara reimagines the tropes of Yakshagana folk theatre similarly to how Darling Grenadine reimagines the tropes of the American musical.
Akshayambara
In Kenya, the Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative (NBO MTI) works to develop and produce new musicals written, composed and performed by African artists in Africa and worldwide. Much like Roundabout’s New Play Initiative, NBO MTI provides support, resources, and mentorship to artists who are committed to writing new works.
The Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative
All the musicals in development are by Kenyan writers and tell stories that resonate with Kenyan audiences. Many of these musicals engage with meaningful social issues, including modern and indigenous instruments (such as the obokano) and some incorporate improvisational, non-linear storytelling. Escape (Interview with an Acrobat) is one of 11 musicals in development. It tells the story of an acrobat who escapes prison and hides in the warden’s house, entrancing the Warden’s wife and her 10-month-old son. The musical maintains a sense of cultural integrity by fusing modern Kenyan techno-rap with a musical chorus that uses traditional instruments to improvise the story. Another musical in development is Pani Puri, which fuses traditional Indian rhythms with traditional Kikuyu and Kenyan tunes to tell an interracial love story between a Black Kikuyu man and a Brown Indian-Kenyan woman. The piece aims to subvert dominant narratives and challenge common standards by exploring the taboo construct of interracial dating.
NEW MUSICALS IN KENYA Since 1995, Roundabout’s New Play Initiative has commissioned 55 playwrights, developed over 250 new works, and employed over 5,000 artists. Roundabout believes it is critically important to support theatre artists at all steps of the creative process, from inception to completion. Let’s take a closer look at an initiative based in Africa that has been supporting the development of new works since 2016.
Opportunities like the Roundabout’s New Play Initiative and Nairobi Musical Theatre Initiative exist around the globe to support playwrights and composers as they develop new work. Introducing emerging artists like Daniel Zaitchik to a wider audience and to potential collaborators sets the foundation for their new plays to enjoy future productions.•
For more information about Roundabout’s New Play Initiative, click HERE.
DARLING GRENADINE UPSTAGE GUIDE
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