What our Audiences Say
Have you seen Zandile? 3 STARS FROM ROBERT CREW! "There's a wonderful warmth and immediacy to the writing; South African Gcina Mhlophe has apparently drawn on her own experience to craft this popular play, which made its Canadian debut... at the Workman Theatre. …. two luminous performances – by Toronto's d'bi young anitafrika as Zandile and by Nigerian movie star Joke Silva as the grandmother (and in various other roles, including the mother). The oh-so talented d'bi young is simply magnificent as she moves from exuberant eight-year-old, through the worries and insecurities of puberty and matures into a delightful 18-year-old determined to find her Gogo. Silva is an equally charismatic presence in a grounded performance that is remarkable for its love and detail. And there's good work too from the third member of the cast – Olivia Duodu, who plays Zandile's giggly friend Lindiwe. The performances triumph… Catch it for three memorable examples of the actor's craft." From "Acting Trio light up Zandile," by Robert Crew, Toronot Star, February 1, 2008
Anowa “It is not often that one sees African theatre executed
by Canadian actors with such authenticity… As a Fanti man
living in Canada for well over twenty years, I was heartened to
witness the flawless production of AfriCan Theatre Ensemble’s
Ghanaian drama, Anowa. The play, brilliantly directed by Rhoma
Spencer and choreographed by Ghanaian Albert Otto, has brought
a slice of Ghana’s history to the local stage… I sat
at Artword Theatre, immensely transformed into my country. I can
almost smell its earth… AfriCan Theatre Ensemble is in its
fifth season, I am told, yet this is the first time I have seen
their work. I have no doubt that this is a company to take notice
of, if only to experience live homegrown African theatre in Toronto.
And at once I can feel a sense of belonging” “Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo’s Anowa filters the tragedy
of African slavery through a striking prism, showing how it becomes
a curse not only for slaves but also their enslavers. The play goes
even deeper… Rhoma Spencer directs an impressive production,
drawing on song, dance and drumming … to provide an authentically
atmospheric background for the story… [T]his production proves
that AfriCan Theatre Ensemble … can deliver the dramatic goods” Market of Tales "The multi-talented AfriCan Theatre Ensemble offers some holiday
magic with Market of Tales, a cornucopia of colorful folk tales,
history, story-songs, dance-drama, poems, and music. Market of Tales
is set in a typical African marketplace with its rich variegated
colors and textures in the costumes and set design by Judith Sandiford.
There is great joy in the tales and a wide range of emotions rendered
by the fine ensemble work of Seifu Belachew, Alexandra Drossos, Teddy
Masuku, Muoi Nene, Aktina Stathaki and Selam Teclu. It's impossible
to single out any performer for special notice. Director/Dramaturge
Ronald Weihs has put together this fine group of actor/dancers and
guided the production through to a wonderfully entertaining 90-minutes,
culminating with a historical story that needs no re-telling nor
embellishment, the story of village boy that grew to lead a nation,
Nelson Mandela. You couldn't ask for a better finale than that." "The richness of African tales well blended with songs, dance
and celebration was a constant trend and hallmarked the beauty of
the production. With songs sung in several African languages from
Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic, Ethiopia and
South Africa, the production has an appeal that is broad and reconciliatory." "Many worthy productions come to us from Africa, but Market
of Tales has been created by mostly African immigrants living here.
That makes the play part of us, part of multicultural Toronto. After
seeing this marvelous production where Africans tell their own stories
under the wise direction of Ronald Weihs, I wanted to run out and
bang a big drum and announce to the world that this is an important
play. Told through joyous music, text and movement, the stories come
from both African mythology and real life. The cast is exuberant
and Judith Sandiford’s colourful design is stunning. So grab
your child and your grandmother and rush to see this dazzling ensemble." ". . . an engaging brocade of pan-African folk tales that entertains
and emotes through song, dance and near-constant movement. A current
of percussive physicality runs throughout, with vignettes crosscut
with raucous, stomp-heavy dance sequences . . . vibrant, colourful
stuff." “Our school had the pleasure of watching the AfriCan Theatre
Ensemble present Market of Tales in February 2006 in our gym… As
an audience we felt very connected to the seven performers
as they told us stories, danced, sang and played musical instruments. At
times we felt their dancing vibrate through our bodies as we shared
the stage floor with the company. During the uninterrupted performance
we were introduced to many different characters who sometimes told
the stories and sometimes acted in them. The thread of each
tale was seamlessly woven by each member of the company while constant
contact with the audience was maintained. As our school ranges
in age from four to eleven it is a challenge to sustain the attention
of all concerned. We found that our youngest students were just
as engaged as our oldest students. The performance had many
layers that appealed to a wide range of ages. I would highly
recommend this theatre company to educators looking for a rich, engaging
presentation that leaves the audience wanting more.” |