The Sunday News
Bhekumuzi Ncube, Sunday Life Reporter
THE annual Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo imprinted on a visiting multi award winning American stage actress in 2008 and has seen her return to share her knowledge with other artistes at this year’s edition.
Heather Massie, who first visited the country in 2008, said the festival was one of the best she has attended and played an important role in preserving culture in Zimbabwe.
Massie, who was part of an American Cultural Envoy taking part in 2008’s Intwasa Arts Festival has once again returned to experience the festival and to showcase her paly – HEDY! The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr.
“It`s always a pleasure being in Zimbabwe, and my last visit to Zimbabwe was incredible. I am thankful to the US Embassy who gave me the opportunity to be part of Intwasa.
“The social integration of countries has facilitated cultural dilution which endangers traditional culture. Therefore, it`s very important that Bulawayo still values Intwasa festival which helps keep the rich history of the city,” she said.
Massie said her play was based on a true story of Hollywood glamour and scientific genius, Hedy Lamarr.
“The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr play explores the life, inventions and person of Hedy Lamarr. Lamarr was a Viennese-born Hollywood film who was a glamorous siren of the silver screen. She was more than the most beautiful woman in the world. She invented a radio frequency system also called Spread Spectrum Technology, which has been incorporated to modern WI-FI and Bluetooth technology,” she said.
Massie said that the play inspired women to become more involved in sciences.
“The play marries art and science in a way that inspires audiences to work each day to make the world a better place, and to motivate women to pursue scientific endeavours,” she said.
Massie is a multi-award winning solo actress who is very much known for her plays The Cheese That Binds (2011), Black Days (2012) and Hallows’ Eve (2014).
She was honoured as the Outstanding Actress in a Staged Reading at the 2016 Planet Connections Theatre Festivity in New York City, for HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr.
The World Premiere was presented on Hedy Lamarr’s 102 birthday in the United Solo Festival in New York City, and was named a 2016 Festival Bestseller.
Massie said she hoped to see Zimbabwean actors travel to the US to share culture through acting.
“People love new things; I am very much sure that Americans will be very happy to welcome Zimbabwean actors. There is a lot of skills and information we can benefit from each other. I believe we both have talents and no one is superior to the other,” said Massie.
