UJocelyn Bioh kunye noSaheem Ali Usher ekuBuyeni kweTheatre yoLuntu

Ibekwe phantsi kweNqaba yeBelvedere eCentral Park, inyanga inyuka iqonga kwaye imithi ihlebeza emoyeni wasehlotyeni: kusebusuku eDelacorte Theatre. Elona nqanaba likufutshane iNew York linendawo yemidlalo yamaGrike yore, abantu abaphuma kuzo zonke izithili nakwiindlela zonke zobomi bayahlangana ukuze bahlangane nomculo wovavanyo okanye iShakespeare esandula ukutolikwa. Ubugcisa bobugcisa obuqala Ukuthanjiswa kweShrew eneenkwenkwezi UMeryl Streep ngo-1981 ukuya ku Umrhwebi waseVenice I-Al Pacino eneenkwenkwezi kwi-2010 ishiye uphawu kwinqanaba likaDelacorte.

Uluntu lwentsebenzo lwaluyenye yezona ndawo zibhuqeke kakhulu kulo bhubhani, olwenza ukuba iiholo zemidlalo zivalwe kwaye zanyanzela amawaka kushishino ukuba angasebenzi. Emva konyaka kwelahleko etshabalalisayo ebhangqiwe ngamaxesha okuphumla ekhokelele ekuvuseleleni okudala, umbhali wemidlalo uJocelyn Bioh kunye nomlawuli uSaheem Ali bangenisa imvuselelo Iqonga loluntu kunye nolungelelwaniso lwangoku lweShakespeare classics. Okokugqibela, amakhethini anyuka kwakhona yeqonga laseNew York.

Ukususela ngo-1954 iTheatre yoLuntu yahlakulela ubugcisa bokwenza idolophu yaseNew York. Injongo yomsunguli uJoseph Papp yayilula: yenza iforum yokubonisa ababhali bemidlalo kunye nabadlali. Uluntu luneendawo ezintlanu zemidlalo yeqonga e-425 Lafayette Street, kubandakanya neJoe's Pub, indawo enesitayile se-cabaret esetyenziselwa iimveliso ezintsha neziphuhlisayo. Eyona midlalo yeqonga idumileyo yiDelacorte, likhaya likaShakespeare othandekayo ePaki.

U-Bioh, umdlali odlala umdlalo kunye nomdlali owazalelwa wakhulela kwisiXeko saseNew York, ubhala uhlengahlengiso lweShakespeare Merry Abafazi base Windsor , awayeyifutshane Abafazi abonwabileyo . Ali, umlawuli ongumhlali weTheatre yoLuntu kunye nomlawuli we Abafazi abonwabileyo , ugqibile nje ukudlala umculo wakhe wesithathu okoko kwaqala ubhubhane: URomeo noJuliet , Kudlala uLupita Nyong'o noJuan Castano.

Ufana nomphefumlo wam womoya, uBioh uthe ngo-Ali. Esi sibini sisebenza kunye rhoqo kwiiprojekthi ukusukela kumdlalo obukhoma ukuya kwifilimu. Ekupheleni konyaka ophelileyo, uAli weza kuBioh enoluvo: kuthekani ukuba bayenzile Abafazi abonwabileyo malunga nabantu abavela kwamanye amazwe abavela eMzantsi Harlem, kwaye bacinga ibali ngokusebenzisa iilensi ezintsha ngokupheleleyo?

Ke ngoku unayo: Abafazi abonwabileyo icwangciswe eWashington Heights, kwa-lo mmandla uBioh wakhulela khona, kwaye abalingisi bazakuthetha ngeelwimi zaseGhana nezaseNigeria, bekhupha kubutyebi benkcubeko kubafuduki baseAfrika abamelwane. ENTSHA YORK, NY-JUNI 03: UJocelyn Bioh ngexesha lokufika kweeMbasa zeDrama zeDrama ze2018 kwiHolo yaseKapa ngoJuni 3, 2018 kwisiXeko saseNew York.Ifoto nguWalter McBride / WireImage

Bobabini u-Bioh no-Ali banomdla wokubeka amabali avela kwi-African Diaspora kwinqanaba eliphambili. Isibini sokuyila sivela kwiintsapho zaseAfrika: iBioh evela eNtshona, kunye no-Ali waseMpuma. Ukulungelelaniswa kwakhe kuvela kumava akhe obuntu akhulela kwindawo yaseGhana kwaye ujolise kwinto azama ukuyibamba kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe wobomi: ukubhiyozela ubuNtsundu.Umdlalo kaBioh Amantombazana esikolo , okanye eyaziwa njenge Ukudlala kwamantombazana aseAfrika waboniswa kwiMCC PlayLab Series ngo-2017. Eminye imidlalo yakhe ibandakanya Amaphupha eNollywood (Uluhlu lukaKilroy 2015) , Abantu base-Afrika baseMelika (eveliswe kwiYunivesithi yaseHoward ngo-2015 kunye ne-Southern Rep Ruby PrizeUmvuzo wokugqibela ngo-2011) , kwaye Ulonwabo kunye noJoe . Njengomdlali weqonga ebekwimveliso ebanzi ye Isigameko esinqwenelayo seNja ngexesha lasebusuku , Ityikitya yokutyikitya KwiGazi kwaye Wonke umntu, kwaye I-Octoroon , Owayephumelele u-Obie Award ngo-2014.

Bobabini babonile ukuba amabali malunga nelizwekazi lase-Afrika ahlala ebhalwa njengeentlekele, zihlala zibalaselisa indlala nentshabalalo kunovuyo, umculo, ukutya, kunye nokukhanya kwezo nkcubeko.

Awungekhe nje uthethe nge-Afrika, okanye naliphi na ilizwe labaphambukeli, kwaye ukhombe kuphela 'kwintlupheko ye-porn' yayo yonke, utshilo uBioh. Ayilunganga, okanye umfanekiso oyinyani wento eyiyo. Ke ndizama nje ukongeza kwingxoxo kunye nokupeyinta umfanekiso opheleleyo.

U-Bioh wafundela imidlalo yeqonga kunye nokwenza ubugcisa kwiYunivesithi yaseOhio State kwiDigri yakhe yesidanga sokuqala, kodwa kwakunganyanzelekanga ukuba adibane ngezandla ezivulekileyo. Ngeli xesha isikolo sasigxotha ubukhulu becala ukuba sichwetheze, oko kuthetha ukuba indima yakhe yokubambela yayilinganiselwe kwiindima ezibhalelwe abantu abaMnyama. Ngenxa yokudimazeka yokungalahlwa, uBioh uthathe ukubhala. Ukuba bekungekho mntu ubhala amabali ngaye nangabantu abaMnyama, ebezakuzibhalela ezi ndima.

Ndithathe ikhosi yokubhala ukudlala ukubuyekeza iikhredithi endandingazifumani kuba ndandingafakwanga, utshilo uBioh, emva koko ndafumanisa ukuba ndiyayithanda kakhulu. Omnye woonjingalwazi bakhe wamkhuthaza ukuba aqhubeke nokubhala, kwaye wagqibela ngokufumana iMFA yakhe kwiYunivesithi yaseColumbia yokubhala.

Ukubona umdlalo weShakespearean nabantu baseAfrika, utshilo uBioh malunga Abafazi abonwabileyo , kunye nabadlali abaMnyama basebenzisa iilwimi zaseAfrika ezinesicatshulwa sikaShakespearean, loo nto iyodwa iyakuba mnandi kwaye yenze amava awodwa.

Shakespeare ’s Abafazi abonwabileyo ye Windsor Ulandela uSir John Falstaff njengoko ezama ukutsala abafazi ababini ngaxeshanye: Inkosikazi uAlice Ford kunye nenkosikazi uMargaret Page. Ubathumela phantse iileta ezifanayo ezichaza ukuthanda kwakhe, kodwa abo bafazi babini abanamdla kwi-Falstaff endala, engaphantsi kunqwenelekayo. Endaweni yokumjongana neeleta ezifanayo, bayaziphindezela ngokuphendula kuye. Ukulandela umdlalo weqonga kaShakespeare, uzaliswe yinkohliso, iziqhulo, kunye nokuhlekisa okuhlekisayo.

Ndiziva ngathi ndihlala ndinamandla, abantu ababhinqileyo abalinganiswa kwimidlalo yam, utshilo uBioh wabalinganiswa abaphambili. Kwaye ndiyayithanda into yokuba umdlalo unamabhinqa akhupha indoda ngandlela thile, uziva ubaluleke kakhulu kwinto endithetha ngayo kakhulu kwimidlalo yam.

U-Bioh utshintshe abalinganiswa u-Mistress Ford kunye no-Mistress Page ukuba abe ngu-Madame, isimaphambili senkcubeko ngokwesiko. Ukwanikwe nabafazi amagama okuqala: U-Madame Page uzakuba ngumfazi wase-Ghana onegama lesiNtu lase-Ashanti, kwaye u-Madame Ford uzakuba ngumfazi wase-Nigeria onegama lesi-Igbo lesiNtu.

Kwikholeji ndandinomdla wokudimazeka ekwenzeni naluphi na uhlobo lweShakespeare okanye umsebenzi weklasikhi. Khange ndibenawo loo mathuba, utshilo uBioh. Ke nyani, lo ngumdlalo wam wokuqala weShakespeare endisebenza kuwo nakweyiphi na indawo yobungcali. Ke kuyonwabisa ngokwenene kum. ENTSHA YORK, NY-AGASTI 01: USaheem Ali kwiStudiyo sokwakha ngo-Agasti 1, 2019 kwisiXeko saseNew York.Ifoto nguJason Mendez / Getty Izithombe

Abadlali kunye nabalawuli banyanzelwa ukuba bacinge ngaphandle kwebhokisi kulo nyaka ukwenza iindlela ezintsha nezintsha zabaphulaphuli zokunxibelelana nemidlalo yeqonga. Imisebenzi yabanjwa ngaphezulu kwe-Zoom, i-Instagram Live, iYouTube, nakwiipaki zangaphandle kuyo yonke iNew York nakwilizwe liphela. UMlawuli uSaheem Ali kunye nomdlali odlalayo URicardo Pérez González ’S URomeo noJuliet yacinga kwakhona iklasikhi yeShakespearean ngokudibanisa izandi zesixeko. Umdlalo odlalwayo odlala indawo kaJuan Castano njengoRomeo noLupita Nyong'o njengoko uJulieta ehambisa umphulaphuli naphi na apho ingqondo yabo ibathatha. Ngenxa yokunqongophala kweseti ebonakalayo, iaudiyo ivumela inkululeko kubaphulaphuli ukuba bathelekelele useto lwabo.

UAli kunye nomdlali odlalayo uRicardo Perez Gonzalez baqala inkqubo yokuziqhelanisa ngokubeka iitekisi ecaleni kweShakespearean yesiNgesi kunye neSpanish ecaleni. Benze uyilo lokufumanisa ukuba ngubani oza kuthetha iSpanish kwaye nini, kwaye isiphelo ngumdlalo owamkela ukuguqulelwa kweelwimi ezimbini, ngaphezulu kwama-50% okubhaliweyo ngeSpanish.

Umlingisi ophumeleleyo kwi-Academy uNyong'o wazalelwa eMexico kwaye wakhulela eKenya, kwaye uCastano wazalelwa e-Columbia. UAli wayefuna ukuba iinkwenkwezi ezimbini zibe nolwalamano olwahlukileyo kwiSpanish ukuze zikwazi ukuzisa olo lwalamano endaweni yazo ngokunyanzela ulwimi oluthile.

Ndifuna ukuba abadlali bayigcine loo fom yesazisi kunye nokwenza umhlaba onobuso onokuthi ube naphina, utshilo u-Ali kuMqwalaseli. Umntu owayimamelayo evela eCaracas wayenokuva kwaye abone iCaracas, umntu waseHavana wayenokubona nokuva iHavana.

Kwangokunjalo nakuBioh, u-Ali ujolise ekudaleni iqonga lokubalisa amabali angamelwa ntweni. Emva konyaka wokubala ngokobuhlanga, uyayibona imfuno yokwenyani kwindawo yaseNew York ebambeleyo ukuba iqhubeke nokwenza utshintsho olukhulu.

Njengoninzi lweethiyetha, ukuphuma kwelinye icala koku kungumnqweno wokwenyani wokuphendula kumzuzu wenkcubeko, ukuqhubeka nokwenza umsebenzi ochasene nobuhlanga, utshilo u-Ali. Uyazi, kum, ndilungile, ndiziva nje ndinelungelo lokuba ndisebenze kuLuntu ngoku, kuba ibe liziko endinalo olunzulu, uthando olunzulu kunye nentlonipho kunye nokunconywa.

Akulahlekanga kum ukuba amava okuqala amakhulu emidlalo yeqonga aza kuba ngumdlalo wabo bonke abantu abaNtsundu eqongeni, utshilo uBioh ka Abafazi abonwabileyo . Kwaye ndiziva ngathi, ngandlela thile, eyona ndlela neyona ndlela intle, siza kuyivuma into esidlule kuyo sonke - samkele zonke izifundo esizifundileyo kulo nyaka. Kwaye ndinethemba lokuba ngcono kwaye abantu abanovelwano baya phambili.

Abantu kwilizwe liphela bazokukhangela ukukhula kunye notshintsho olubonakalisiweyo xa kuthelekiswa nendawo esasiyiyo ngaphambili. Kwaye oko kuya kuthetha izinto ezahlukeneyo kwiithiyetha ezahlukeneyo. Uluntu, nangona kunjalo, belusoloko lwaziwa ngerekhodi labo elide lokukhulisaamazwi ahlukeneyo. Ndicinga ukuba sizakuphuma kwelinye icala kwaye sibe ngcono kunangaphambili, utshilo u-Ali.

URomeo noJuliet ngumdlalo wesithathu ka-Ali wokudlala ukusukela oko kwaqala ubhubhane, ezimbini zokuqala zezikaShakespeare URichard II kunye no-Anne Washburn Ukwaphuka kwenqanawa . URomeo noJuliet iyafumaneka ukumamela kwi-Apple okanye kwi-Spotify usetyenziso lwepodcast, okanye kwi-intanethi kwi indawo yasesidlangalaleni.org . Abafazi abonwabileyo Inkulumbuso eDelacorte Theatre ngoJulayi.

(Amalungiselelo e-COVID / ulwazi lokuphambuka kwindawo yokubonela yaseDelacorte ezayo)