The Sunday Mail
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
NOW in its second year at its new location in the serene part of the Harare Gardens, Theatre In The Park (TITP) is this year set to unveil a new programming system that will push quality over quantity. “When we opened the new space last year we were eager to know who was doing what and where in theatre circles so we were really after getting as many productions as possible to be showcased in the new space,” said proprietor of TITP, Daves Guzha.
“However, as the productions kept coming, we got to discover that in as much as there was some good content out there, there was a lot of work that needed to be done in terms of improving the quality of the productions,” he revealed.
Guzha said this drop in quality has seen TITP deciding to change its programming from staging an average of four productions per month in 2016 to just two.
“This year will see us change our focus from pushing four shows in a month to only two. This is a direct response to calls of concern with regards to quality of some of the works showcased at the venue and its effect on the paying audience, one we are hoping to grow in 2017.
“The new structure will see us going back to how we used to operate at the old Theatre in the Park, where a production would première on a Tuesday and run till Saturday as opposed to the Wednesday to Friday system we had adopted last year.
“Another development is that we will be introducing an afternoon slot on Saturday — another response to calls from theatre lovers to introduce one. Since we now have only two shows in a month, we will have more time to assess the quality of productions coming into the theatre and help the artistes polish their work before it is presented to the audience,” explained Guzha.
The renowned theatre practitioner added that 2016 made him realise that theatre in Zimbabwe is in a perilous state.
“Though having a number of productions running in 2016 might have compromised quality as we did not have enough time to asses some of the plays, we also got the reality of affairs on the ground, our theatre is in a perilous state.
“There is, therefore, need to have the older generation, which pioneered theatre in the country, to work hand in glove with the younger generation to amend the calamity we have in the sector. So as a theatre we are working towards achieving this and hopefully the quality of our works will improve as time goes on,” added Guzha.
TITP not only has developments on the local front, it also has some exciting news on the international arena.
“As many might know, we have been touring a lot with the Rooftop Productions play ‘Lamentations @12’, locally and internationally since its première last year.
“The touring continues in 2017 as the play is set to be showcased in Tanzania and Mali.
“Tanzania will be our first stop at the Nafasi Art Space where we will be staging plays and workshops next week, and we are very excited to be performing there as the second act from Zimbabwe after the legend, Dr Oliver Mtukudzi.
“From Tanzania we will be off to Mali for the 13th edition of the Festival Sur Le Niger. This is also another interesting development as this play becomes the first local production to tour in West Africa and am sure we will get to learn a lot as there will be productions from Nigeria and Ghana too,” said Guzha.
He also highlighted that the excitement is not only about the play touring in all these spaces but that as they travel they are establishing some critical deals that will benefit the local theatre fraternity as a whole.
“Besides my being producer and director of ‘Lamentations @12’, my other role has been to establish deals with other theatre spaces in Africa. This approach has been gradually taking shape and we are excited as some good deals have been made.
“We have managed to establish partnerships with theatres in Zambia, Uganda and Kenya, and what we want is to have local productions being showcased in these countries once every two months and vice versa.
“However, the aspect of quality then comes back into play, only work that is of good quality will be considered. Let me also hasten to say that the plays do not have to be from Rooftop Promotions but from any production house. All we are doing is facilitating and at the end of the day the whole fraternity benefits.
“In this regard, we will be having a play from Zambia showcasing at Theatre in the Park in March then in April a production from Kenya comes to town and then in June a Ugandan play will again be staged here,” highlighted Guzha.
