tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92081867969791097472024-03-13T17:22:24.082+03:00Theatre-VistaA forum for performing artistes to discuss their stagecraft and theatre productions.HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-787296723904021982008-08-27T12:00:00.001+03:002008-08-27T12:21:19.713+03:00Tugutuke Artistes Picking up the Pieces<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SLUYEd9tYsI/AAAAAAAAAIU/CmkiXC1ahKo/s1600-h/Redykyulass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SLUYEd9tYsI/AAAAAAAAAIU/CmkiXC1ahKo/s320/Redykyulass.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239120206557438658" border="0" /></a>In the run up to last year’s polls, <a href="http://www.dramatool.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1079">I opined that the head-on plunge into active politics by a number of our artistes was misguided</a>. As it turned out, the whole lot was walloped, sometimes literally. They are now dusting up as they pick up the pieces from a battle badly executed and are seeking to establish their relevance on the national arena once again.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Vijana Tugutuke</span> movement, under which they mobilized massive youth activity, seems to have scattered to the four winds or else taken a muted low profile. Or perhaps they have, as kindred political spirits would say, just made a tactical retreat to fight another day.<br /><br />And the operative word is ‘fight’. That is the language of the degenerate local politics that they so desired to join. Fight with fists, stones, chairs. Mongolo, the last man standing, can attest that they will need to abandon their professional civility and instead cultivate a barbaric mien to survive in the man-eat-man jungle.<br /><br />John ‘KJ’ Kiarie suffered physical harassment from hired gangs during the electioneering period and had a few of his bones broken. He had to be ferried by an ambulance to present his nomination papers to the electoral commission. The sad irony in his case is that the hoodlums who thumped him were the very target audience that Vijana Tugutuke sought to engage in bringing about change. And despite the project taking credit for increasing voter registration of the youth by upwards of 1million, their icons all lost in the ensuing contests. KJ in Dagoretti, Kajairo in Kasarani, Mdomo Baggy in Kamkunji, KingKong in Embakasi. Nyambane was initially expected to run for the Westlands seat but I suppose he wizened up just in time.<br /><br />King Kong struggled without success to raise funds for paying party nomination fees. He died after the polls though the two events may not be necessarily linked.<br /><br />Kajairo is putting out little fires lit up everywhere by the media who keep running stories that he’s broke after raiding his ‘piggy bank’ to finance his campaign. He has now, together with Nyambane, joined the Nation Media Group as hosts on the newly launched QFM radio station.<br /><br />KJ is in court challenging the election of Beth Mugo with one of his petition grounds stating that she referred to him as “a joker who should be cracking jokes in the street”. In an exchange with Mugo’s lawyer, KJ insisted that he is an artiste and that any reference to him as a comedian is in bad faith.<br /><br />Clearly, the brief incursion into politics has taken its toll on the artistes. And as they work to overcome the setbacks they suffered, one hopes that some valuable lessons were learnt from the experiment. One of which, I hope, will be that the murky and highly fluid arena that is Kenyan politics is not appropriate for advancing social change. In joining the fray, Kajairo was quoted saying that “We have a responsibility as entertainers. We cannot sit and watch things go wrong. Everything is determined by leadership”. Really?<br /><br />I still insist that Comedian KJ is many times more likely to inspire change from his Redykyulass stage than “<span style="font-style: italic;">Mheshimiwa</span>” Kiarie ever will. They will quickly lose their force and credibility as change agents as soon as they get hooked on the “Honorable” trappings.HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-76481712996421225032008-08-13T15:25:00.004+03:002008-08-13T15:47:35.188+03:00Soul MenThere seems to be no escaping from the jinx that casts its dark shadows over the month of August. It has already ticked off two great performing artistes of our time in the space of one weekend, Bernie Mac on Saturday followed by Isaac Hayes on Sunday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfGR18zI/AAAAAAAAAHk/kdzOnmzAmQY/s1600-h/Bernie+Mac.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfGR18zI/AAAAAAAAAHk/kdzOnmzAmQY/s320/Bernie+Mac.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233979347684422450" border="0" /></a>Bernie Mac, who was a member of the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Original Kings of Comedy</span> quartet, died of sarcoidosis, a lung complication due to pnuemonia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfLTGGHI/AAAAAAAAAHs/iv6n01f_XpA/s1600-h/Hayes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfLTGGHI/AAAAAAAAAHs/iv6n01f_XpA/s320/Hayes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233979349031852146" border="0" /></a>Isaac ‘Black Moses’ Hayes who has been composing and performing <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Hot Buttered Soul</span> music since 1967 died of stroke.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfRAqagI/AAAAAAAAAH0/3DZa5AIotu8/s1600-h/soul+men.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SKLUfRAqagI/AAAAAAAAAH0/3DZa5AIotu8/s320/soul+men.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233979350565153282" border="0" /></a><br />The two great men have recently been working alongside Samuel L. Jackson in a movie set to be released later this year.<br /><br />Two <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Tough Guys</span> have <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Walk</span>ed <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">on By</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Soul Men</span>.<br /><br />(Pictures courtesy of Isaac Hayes' official <a href="http://www.isaachayes.com/">website</a>.)HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-34107540727943122752008-08-04T16:41:00.003+03:002008-08-04T16:53:13.675+03:00Finding Churchill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SJcH3-jUPwI/AAAAAAAAAG4/qt3RX19MrqE/s1600-h/churchill2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SJcH3-jUPwI/AAAAAAAAAG4/qt3RX19MrqE/s320/churchill2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230658150479445762" border="0" /></a><br />An internet search for Daniel Ndambuki gives amazingly few results with equally scanty detail. Which is fairly bizarre for a man whose trade hinges on popular ratings. And I have little doubt that Ndambuki is perhaps the wittiest stand-up comedian to come out of these parts in our times.<br /><br />The man’s wit is powerful and makes for a hilarious beginning to every morning on <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Classic FM</span>’s breakfast show where he doubles as the streetwise <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Mwalimu Kingangi</span> and tea-lady <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Philgonias</span>. Co-hosting the show with Maina Kageni, he performs lots of other flawless imitations only the way a consummate artiste can. It is widely believed that he enjoys quite a large fan base that has anchored the show at the top of the FM stations’ breakfast ‘battles’. I’m an ardent fan of his too and would love to keep track of their morning antics except that the duo spoils the act for me when they relapse, as Maina invariably ensures, to the depraved ‘<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">pale pale</span>’ dialogues.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Churchill</span>, as Ndambuki is known in his stand-up comedy acts, is well reputed for his refreshingly ‘clean’ content that fits comfortably with family audiences. Many who have attended his shows will attest that his evergreen repertoire consistently delivers as billed. But now, after the end of the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Redykyulass</span> shows on national TV in which <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Churchill</span> regularly featured, his fans outside Nairobi continue to miss out on his side-splitting performances.<br /><br />Dan Ndambuki’s comedy has been recorded and several DVD volumes made but one is likely to have a pretty hard time laying hands on them locally. I have made rounds to several outlets here in Mombasa to no avail but find that they can be purchased online from <a href="http://kilimanjaroentertainment.com">Kilimanjaro Entertainment</a> which is based in the US.<br /><br />A DVD collection of <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Churchill’s Comedy Classics</span> would be a prized feature to any home library and a befitting chronicle to this gem of an artiste.HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-35239451504132367432008-07-15T01:29:00.004+03:002008-07-15T01:42:09.133+03:00Okiya Okoiti Omtata - Playwright Playing it Right for Civil Rights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SHvUqCqpu1I/AAAAAAAAAF4/BBcUw-it2OE/s1600-h/Omtatah2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SHvUqCqpu1I/AAAAAAAAAF4/BBcUw-it2OE/s320/Omtatah2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223002011601582930" border="0" /></a><br />The above stills are from a video clip that captured Okoiti Omtata when he chained himself to rails at the Kenya Police Headquarters in January 2008 while protesting against civilian killings by security agents. After making a few spirited pronouncements for justice in the wake of the then spiraling events of violence, he was unchained by a contingent of policemen who later charged him with “attempted suicide” besides the usual “causing a disturbance”. So, while confronting the police head-on is widely viewed in these parts as courting trouble, the police themselves actually see civilian protest right outside their headquarters as “attempted suicide”!<br /><br />Is Okoiti Omtata a suicidal man? Yes, if you are inclined to view challenges in the murderous bent of our disingenuous police force. That the force found it necessary to dispatch a whole contingent of armed policemen to ‘crash’ a single man, and in the full glare of media cameras is indicator enough of absolute lack of innovativeness at Vigilance house. Faced with the creative prowess of one Okoiti Omtata, the collective genius of the top cops collapsed and they resorted to the traditional path of exhibiting raw power. And it did not scare the man of courage one bit. It did not scare him before and he seems to be built for the long haul. Okoiti is not afraid to exercise his right to expression and no amount of intimidation has thus far deterred him. This must surely irk the pretenders to almightiness who continue to warm their backsides at Vigilance House.<br /><br />In August 2007, the last days of the 9th parliament, Okoiti was among a group of activists who spent several days in police custody for taking part in a demonstration against the MPs plan to award themselves a Ksh 6million send off package at the dissolution of the house. A seemingly fed up Judge ordered their release on the technicality of having been held for over 24 hours before being presented in court.<br /><br />In March 2008, Okoiti was amongst members of the National Civil Societies Congress who stormed an ECK conference at a Mombasa hotel to protest against the commissions handling of last year’s general election. The stunned Chairman Kivuitu offered no jokes this time but stayed put in his seat as the hotel’s management mobilized their security guards for a fun day as they jostled and pushed with the activists.<br /><br />Last week, the cops enthusiastically landed on him and his colleagues again when they took to a procession calling for resignation of Minister Kimunya. And again, they ended up with body injuries, got locked up and were later released on cash bail and are awaiting court cases.<br /><br />Okoiti was born in Busia district, Kenya in 1964. He studied his ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels at St. Peter’s Amukura from where he met the requirements for university entrance. He, however, turned down an admission offer to study for a Commerce degree at the University of Nairobi and opted instead to join St Augustine’s Seminary in Mabanga to pursue priesthood. He left the Seminary with a Diploma in Philosophy and after a brief teaching stint in Busia, joined the Kenya Polytechnic to study automotive engineering. And what is Okoiti’s favorite subject? Not CRE actually, but Mathematics. Oh yes, of which he is said to enjoy calculus immensely.<br /><br />Besides solving equations for x and y, or maybe because of doing so, Okoiti is also talented with creative writing skills that have seen him pen a number of plays. These include <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Luanda Magere</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Voice of the People</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Damn Patriotism</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Taken for Granted</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chains of Junkdom</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Cosmetic</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Luanda Magere</span> in particular enjoyed a long run in 1991 to nationwide acclaim. He has also written a novel, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A Brood of Vipers</span>, and is said to be working on compilations of various cultural practices in western Kenya.<br /><br />Meanwhile, armed with a rosary and the occasional large chain-works, Okoiti will not shy away from telling off the politicians, quislings and their hirelings right to their face. He continues to keep vigil for that which is in the interest of public good. A thespian, activist and a man of courage.HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-82936653243233264702008-06-27T02:03:00.004+03:002008-06-27T02:27:03.147+03:00Where are our movies, Project Nollywood?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SGQirPDwpsI/AAAAAAAAAFc/MVPOlRBeLik/s1600-h/Project+Nollywood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SGQirPDwpsI/AAAAAAAAAFc/MVPOlRBeLik/s200/Project+Nollywood.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216332394573899458" border="0" /></a><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CLumiti%27s%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >About a year ago, ten Kenyan artistes traveled to <st1:country-region st="on">Nigeria</st1:country-region> for a two-week training program in movie making facilitated by <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Mnet Africa</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">Kenya</st1:country-region></st1:place> Film Commission and players from the thriving Nigeria Film Industry, famously known as Nollywood. Ideally, the participants were expected to draw from the knowledge of their Nigerian counterparts and on return to share their experiences with local colleagues with whom they would then collaborate to develop our fledgling industry. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >It has been silent since they returned and I’m sure quite a number of artistes are at a loss what to make of it. Is there anything cooking in the studios or was the trip for the personal benefit of the ten artistes only? Even so, what have they been up to since? Our Riverwood, or whatever ‘wood’ we shall baptize our version of a movie hub, will certainly not thrive out of stealthy, publicity-starved production processes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >At the launch of the project, lots of sweet-sounding goals were made by the Kenya Film Commission. It pledged to support the group translate their knowledge into tangible productions upon return and even promised to host workshops where they would disseminate acquired skills to other players in the field. Well? Are we waiting for Godo? I cannot guess by what means the Commission intended or intends to notify the country-wide enthusiasts of these activities when their website was last updated at the launch of the project. This is a sad indictment for an organization whose mandate is ‘to make <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Kenya</st1:place></st1:country-region> a centre of film production’. It is doubly sad, especially given the goodwill and resources from Mnet Africa and the Nollywood veterans.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br />Indeed Mnet Africa has been at the forefront of promoting Nollywood productions through the DSTV Africa Movie Magic channel. They have recently launched an extra channel, Africa Movie Magic Plus, to showcase productions from East and <st1:place st="on">Central Africa</st1:place>. This is an excellent marketing opportunity for our movies which we might just lose as we continue waiting for Godo. Already, the earlier movies from <st1:country-region st="on">Kenya</st1:country-region> like <b style=""><i style="">Backlash</i></b>, <b style=""><i style="">By Any Means Necessary</i></b>, <b style=""><i style="">Clean Hands</i></b> and <b style=""><i style="">Wangai’s Cross</i></b> have been run severally alongside those from <st1:country-region st="on">Tanzania</st1:country-region>, <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Uganda</st1:country-region></st1:place> and the Central states. After years of whining about lack of exposure, this is certainly a good time to put our act together and churn out those movies.</span>
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<br />HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-75797967861152257462008-06-15T01:02:00.002+03:002008-06-15T01:09:18.683+03:00Sidede Onyulo: Exit of Kenyan Giant<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SFRA7ncA5AI/AAAAAAAAAEs/93swNZTCPyc/s1600-h/onyulo4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_Jpk116ssWNY/SFRA7ncA5AI/AAAAAAAAAEs/93swNZTCPyc/s200/onyulo4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211862061717447682" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">His towering physique aptly complemented a versatile artistic talent that strode effortlessly on the theatre stage as it shone on the cinema screens in a career spanning about thirty-five years. Sidede Onyulo passed away about a month ago at his Kajulu home in Kisumu where he was buried without much fanfare as was typical of his unpretentious lifestyle.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Although Onyulo attained remarkable success on the international movie scene, his fame was not widely celebrated in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Kenya</st1:place></st1:country-region> perhaps owing to an existence devoid of flamboyant displays. He is reputed to have had more friends in Europe than peers locally and once remarked that he was “more recognizable in the streets of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Munich</st1:place></st1:City> than Kisumu.”<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Onyulo made his entry into the movies in 1987 when he featured in <b style=""><i style="">Shadow in the sun</i></b>. He then went on to star in <b style=""><i style="">The Last Elephant (1990)</i></b><i style="">, <b style="">Eye of a Witness (1991)</b>, <b style="">Two worlds</b>, <b style="">Nowhere in <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> (2003, which made $6million)</b>, <b style="">King Solomon’s Mines (2004)</b>, and <b style="">The Constant Gardener (2005, which made $33million) </b></i>besides many other television series and short films<i style="">.</i> Many of these have not been readily available for local viewers, but those who watched them elsewhere always seem to have come out with loads of praise for Onyulo whose performance they variously described thus;<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“I just watched, "The Constant Gardener" I am thrilled. You made it. How can I contact you personally? You may remember we worked with you in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Kenya</st1:place></st1:country-region> in the Ministry of Legal Department some years ago. I happy you made the right choice. I am briefly residing in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> with my entire family.”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“I have seen Sidede Onyulo in Nowhere in <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> and King Solomon's Mines the latter of which I seen first. I was so inspired by Mr. Onyulo's performance… He has the most beautiful noble presence I have seen, I don't know what it is but he looks as if he stepped through the clouds of heaven to grace us with his talents… and can't wait to see what his future ones will bring.”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“Onyulo is a gem of an actor. His role captivates the audience from the word go. It is from his net that the whole movie is woven.”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“An excellent performance by Mr. Onyulo. He has a real screen presence. Well done!”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“Very powerful and touching performance. I am very sad to find out this is Mr. Onyulo's only film so far - I hope we see many in the future”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“One of the most natural and powerful performances I have see. Sidede is a true talent.”<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">“I have just watched Sidede Onyulo in the movie King Solomon Mines on the Hallmark Channel. Very good acting for a Lawyer turned actor. Keep it up brother we Kenyans are proud of you.”<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I captured the above quotes from film review sites on the internet as I searched for information that would give me an insight into Onyulo’s activities out there. The man’s achievements have not received widespread acclamation locally for reasons that are not immediately clear and that is an embarrassing indictment for a society that is in dire need of inspirational figures. Indeed, the bits of information gathered from his would-be peers seem to be suspiciously skewed to portray Onyulo as a recluse, a drunk and a madman for turning his back on a law career.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="story-body"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Sidede Onyulo who was born in Kajulu, attended school at Muthaiga Primary and Nairobi School before enrolling at the University of Nairobi where he studied law between 1975-1978. His classmates at the university included the current speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende and Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch. He abandoned the legal profession in 1979 to engage in full-time theatre practice.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="story-body"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">He first took to the stage while at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Nairobi</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> when he played the leading role of Jero in Wole Soyinka’s play <b style=""><i style="">Trials of Brother Jero</i></b><i style="">.</i> He followed this with major roles in Ngugi wa Thiongo’s <b style=""><i style="">Trial of Dedan Kimathi</i></b> and Francis Imbuga’s <b style=""><i style="">Betrayal in the City</i></b> which were presented at <i style="">Festac</i> <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Nigeria</st1:country-region></st1:place> in 1977. Other plays in which he put up superb performances were <b style=""><i style="">Sizwe Bansi is Dead, Shaka Zulu, The Successors </i></b>and<b style=""> <i style="">Man of Kafira</i></b>. Onyulo relocated to Kisumu in 1993 where he established the Vigelegele Theatre Troupe to promote and develop performing arts in the region.</span></p><p class="story-body"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">His demise is a big loss to the theatre fraternity and leaves unraveled the strange disconnect between his immense accomplishment internationally and a virtual publicity blackout locally. Upcoming thespians could pick up quite some bit of inspiration from Onyulo’s endeavors even though they may have to plough through the distractions and epithets from spiteful souls whose own success is dubious at best.</span><br /></p>HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-50681567796716366672007-11-24T22:45:00.000+03:002007-11-24T22:46:53.269+03:00Log on to your patrons.<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The perennial grumbling from producers about dwindling numbers in the auditorium may be traced down to a flaw in their relationship with patrons. Many theatre groups have no profile of their customers. Consequently, they have little clue of what to offer them or what it takes to keep them coming back and build on the numbers.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The occasional post-show mingling with only some patrons over a drink may be enjoyable, particularly when expressions of admiration are plentiful. But it is seldom useful in capturing the pulse of the larger audience. In this age of ICT advances, it should now be possible to relate with just about each and every one of our patrons and benefit from their insights on a regular basis. It is strange that most theatre groups do not even have an email address, let alone operate a website. Both of these tools are available for free on the internet. That only a handful of theatre groups are putting them to use is a humbling indictment of our ‘artistic’ aptitude.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Without constant interaction with patrons, development of all theatrical aspects will remain stunted. Artistes need to set themselves free from this warp, set up websites, activate discussion forums therein, send regular email updates, link up with other practitioners and catch up with e-commerce.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">It is not creative to keep mumbling the tired lines of destitution when the necessary tools for emancipation are available.</span>HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-24349351967229137612007-11-12T22:14:00.001+03:002007-11-16T12:09:50.465+03:00How much to charge for a show?<!-google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore)-><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Theatre groups in <st1:place st="on">East Africa</st1:place> have for a long time grappled with this query and, almost always, have left the mathematics to ‘usual custom’. So that despite economic dynamics, entry charges to shows have remained static for years as if they are meant to be tokens from sympathetic patrons. The fact is that these charges are a revenue item in the productions’ profit goals and, like other factors, should reflect true inherent value.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >And how do theatre houses fix their auditorium hire rates if, as is common in these parts, they are not involved in the nitty-gritty of the show production? Is there a costing process that guides their rates or, as is suspect, do the theatre managers simply calculate backwards from the bottom line expected by the house owners/shareholders? Callous as it may seem, the owners/managers are under no obligation to negotiate rates with theatre groups especially when the house is a private/company investment. Sadly for the groups, the hire rates constitute quite a big chunk of their meager expenditure budgets.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The low entry charges, high auditorium charges and pathetic marketing strategies set the stage for a cycle of box office commercial disasters, low quality shows and dwindling patronage. The numerous idle and dusty auditoriums are a sad monument to the inability of theatre groups to grasp business principles or keep pace with changes. Rather than concede this, most are content to blame the public for not being appreciative of theatrical performances and being lukewarm in their support.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The reality is that the theatre groups have inflicted upon themselves this festering wound. They have continued to price themselves out of business with commercially senseless rates that even demean their ‘brand name’ amongst potential patrons. They have been slow to acquire entrepreneurial skills to enable them manage engagements with other businesses for reciprocal support in the form of, say, advertisements. The number of their stage performances is inconsistent to impress theatre houses into arranging contractual hire rates… their foibles are seemingly endless.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >It is time that artistes stopped the perpetual grumbling that theatre does not pay. It won’t pay, if they don’t make it pay!<o:p></o:p></span></p><!-google_ad_section_end(weight=ignore)->HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-52258910889916537842007-11-07T20:51:00.000+03:002007-11-16T12:10:59.614+03:00Safety on stage<p class="MsoNormal">In these days of low-budget productions, little attention is sometimes paid to the inanimate objects that go to give the stage performance a complete ‘face’. A keen inspection would shock one at just how close we prance around disaster with such a casual approach to personal safety on and around the stage.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Are the artisans we engage in the crafting of movable/immovable stage props capable of not only comprehending the stage managers/directors instructions but also complementing them with their own knowledge of what is not only feasible and aesthetic but safe? Or do they just “how high?” when instructed to construct, say, a winding set of stairs? Engaging actors and their neighbors in this craft is risky. Your neighbor may be able to act in some crowd scene but asking them to help craft that set of stairs requires a tradesman who will identify where supporting beams or trestles would be required. Hiring one will of course rearrange your budget unpleasantly but think of opening night and your resplendent queen of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Sheba</st1:place></st1:country-region> comes crushing down with half of the winding stair case!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What about the lengths of electric wires which crisscross the stage floor and side flaps in an attempt to have the crucial sound effects of phones ringing and door bells going off ‘realistically’. Granted, they are often insulated and when not, convey insufficient electric current to electrocute anyone. But in the flurry of an exciting scene, masking tape that holds them in place is scrapped off the floor and a little later, a leg or two is entangled in wire… and humpty-dumpty they go down. The dialogues they invent to explain away the abrupt butt bouncing after they quickly arise are usually to the director’s horror.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And so it is with glassware, especially the idle ones that grace dining tables but never get to be used; and the butcher knives threateningly pointing at thieves of peoples’ husbands; the cigarettes drawn by ‘mean gangsters’ who have never smoked one in their lives; the floor drop after a husband’s disciplinary slap; the running chases around and over furniture… </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is one thing to wail skillfully on stage over the prostrate body of a dead uncle and quite another to discover that his stiffness on the stage floor is in part caused by a sizable splinter of wood sticking from his backside! Courtesy of some poorly constructed/broken prop. All this dangerous effort is understandably an attempt for authenticity. If the script says brandish a machete, machete it is. If the script says uncle drops drop dead, drop. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!-google_ad_section_start->But what happens when that accident happens? How many theatre premises are insured? Indeed, how many theatre houses have in place functional fire fighting equipment? Or first aid kits appropriately stocked and located? Does any theatre house arrange for regular safety audits? Do they have fire teams amongst their staff? Do the theatre groups have amongst them persons with even basic skills to administer first aid? Do the theatre groups take some form of insurance cover?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">We are talking lives. Those of your artistes and patrons. Think safety. Let not crossed-fingers be your safety sign. Impress upon your charges endlessly to always think safety first and tire not to inculcate a safety culture at your theatre premises.</span><!-google_ad_section_end->HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-65911688381047221902007-10-12T21:56:00.000+03:002007-11-16T12:12:15.355+03:00Lights! Action!… power bills.<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Harnessing something as elusive as the human imagination to create a set that will complement and enhance a dramatic production is every stage designer’s goal. Needless to say, well used stage effects will give every production that extra polish that greatly reflects on the artistes’ abilities.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Unfortunately, many theatre groups commonly find themselves saddled with obsolete equipment for their stagecraft. To start with, of course, they don’t own any theatre house and I bet very few are thinking along those lines. Most theatres in existent are of course monuments of our history for which not many would quite countenance to bring them down for the sake of modernizing.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">But this is not to say that sections of them cannot be “touched”. The accessories and consumables for this old equipment are now hard to come by. I would not be entirely surprised if one our recently graduated electrician were to raise his arms in surrender were he to be asked to do a re-wiring job at, say, the “Little Theatre Club – Mombasa” (established in the 1930’s). Inevitably, costs for maintaining and/or hiring equipment for the good old theatre will continue to soar.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Producers need to get more pro-active in partnership with theatre managers in sourcing for modern day stage technology. Without a doubt, these accessories are now manufactured in a wide range of sophistication and at much lower prices - products covering all types of stage lighting, dimmers, moving lights, smoke machines, architectural lighting lamps, colour changing lanterns, video projectors, screens, star clothes, flame clothes… all with user-friendly modern control panels. Search and you’ll well be surprised to find that the friendly good old “dukawalla” that has been your supplier for a generation or so, has actually been ripping you.<o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Enriching the theatre experience for your patrons should not beyond you.</span>HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-76112444197689218242007-10-10T20:19:00.000+03:002007-11-16T12:13:39.025+03:00Applauding mediocrity<p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Promoting mediocrity <span class="postbody">is not easy. True, the perception of what is and what is not good quality may be highly subjective. But the subjective eyes that determined yesteryear’s work to be of high quality are the self same eyes that are condemning most of today’s work as poor quality. Should we lower standards to accommodate everyone that puts pen to paper? Greatness will not be thrust upon budding playwrights. They must earn it. The problem with some of them is that they expect it at the first or second attempt. Do they have the capacity to persist, learn and achieve? Some of our contemporaries have a strange urge to be prolific even when they are churning out works that are consistent only in their dullness. Cobbling up colorless and uninspiring lines that are forgotten with the turning of a page or drawing of the curtain. </span><br /><br /><span class="postbody">Contrast this with how effortlessly we are able to quote Okonkwo (Things fall apart). Or Mulili (Betrayal in the city).</span><br /></span> <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><!--[endif]--></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="postbody">The writers ought not to blame the reader or the publisher for their predicament. The reader is perhaps even more demanding than the publisher. And our writers’ weakness is their inability to gauge what the reader appreciates. It is not for the writers to “proclaim their tigritude”. And the publisher is certainly not in business to smooth over their foibles. They must simply measure up to expectations. Or be damned into carrying manuscripts in their coat pockets. </span><br /><br />Ngugi, Mazrui, Imbuga are not messiahs. B<span class="postbody">ut there’s no denying that they and many of their contemporaries were inspirational writers. Their works have stood the test of time and provide a sensible starting point in an attempt to find out “when the rain started beating us”. We, today, are soaking wet, shielding ourselves with porous umbrellas. Ngugi, Mazrui and Imbuga are home and dry. Once in a while I look back with nostalgia and wonder why we haven’t taken after them. There must be something terribly amiss if I have to google for the “great” writers of my time. Good works are self evident and I will not attempt to trash their effort.<o:p></o:p></span></span> </p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span class="postbody"><o:p></o:p>My plea to my brothers is to keep at it. I look forward to the day I’ll be singing their praises, not out of patriotic favor but in salute of greatness. It is not unachievable. Let us not go down as the generation that “got beaten”. </span><br /><br /><span class="postbody">My grouse with the budding writers of the day is that they seem to be stuck in second gear. Perhaps too much praise from the assorted festivals and competition they attend has gotten to their heads. My challenge to them is to stop deluding themselves that they have “reached” and stretch their limits. They are the chicken that not so long ago had their legs tied with string to keep them captive at the market. They’re home now and need a little prodding from you and me to remind them that they’re now free. Free to read and write and do all that appertains…</span></span> </p>HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208186796979109747.post-79978627540370809582007-10-05T19:06:00.000+03:002007-11-16T12:14:50.513+03:00Play reviews, artistes and quacks<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="postbody"><span style=";font-size:12;" >There was a time when a play review would give a reader fair, all round peeks in the production. Probably the newspaper editors no longer find theatre arts worthy of their talented scribes, hence their contentment with shallow pieces from an array of quacks masquerading as critics/reviewers.</span></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="postbody">There is no denying that theatre artistes need the services of the print media. True, too, that placing a decent advertiser’s announcement is beyond most production budgets, leaving any chances of coverage to an editor’s whims. To many a desperate artiste, therefore, any coverage would be better than none. But then, but what value can possibly be added to a production by a three-paragraph “review” written in bland style by a wannabe scribe. None, I think. Unless an artiste thinks that a month’s mental and physical exertion by way of rehearsals can be sold off like a second-hand pair of shorts at the local market. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="postbody">There is need for producers to interact closely with media editors to put their case for enlightened coverage. This means that producers themselves must of necessity be skillful and coherent enough to navigate their way in the corporate environment. Leaving things to fate will invariably invite shoddy treatment from a business that is forever cutting corners to beat deadlines. Some ‘reviews’ do really look like hurried copy-paste jobs to fill up blank space. A mention in the press may well excite a publicity-starved producer but its potential to disappoint an audience may well render it a valueless service. The theatre group will likely spend the ensuing days absorbing vilification from irate patrons while the scribe, the real con-artiste, will probably be ordering for another keg of malt, barley and hops. The not-so-creative fellow is not to blame for he does only that which is within his competence. Or lack of it. </span><br /><br /> <span class="postbody"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">It is infuriating to see some third-rate stringer fumbling with words to cobble a review of work they have neither read nor seen, profiling actors they have only heard of and generally committing acts of plagiarism.</span> </span></span></span>HLumitihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09532728532474192169noreply@blogger.com0