The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
WOMEN in Theatre and Television (WITT), a brain child of Bulawayo based arts organisation — Nhimbe Trust will this August premiere its latest project — Wives Without Husbands, while embarking on a Girls High Shools Tour in Bulawayo to raise awareness on gender issues.
The play features a fresh cast of four women taken from the 12 new WITT members that were selected during the auditions that were done in April this year.
The new members are Loisianna Charumbira, Andile Ncube, Flarance Ngwira, Langelihle Ndlovu, Gaynor Makulumo, Duduzile Sibanda, Lyndah Sithole, Memory Mguni, Axillia Moyo, Delicacy Ngulube, Sharlene Ndlovu and Angel Mpofu.
Wives Without Husbands is a play written by renowned playwright Raisedon Baya and directed by Memory Kumbota.
The play will also feature contributions from WITT members made during their class discussions preceding its premiere.
Out of the WITT class it is hoped that new female theatre and television scriptwriters, actors and directors will emerge and create more content for women by women.
According to a statement issued to Sunday Life, Wives Without Husbands is a four women play.
“What makes the 2016 WITT class unique and exciting is that they are highly talented, proactively committed, overall new faces and entrants to theatre, and mature professionals.
“In addition to this, WITT aims to embark on a WITT Girls High Schools Tour circuit in Bulawayo showcasing its new play following its premiere. The specific schools for the circuit will be identified in due course, however, it is hoped that the schools will include both public and private girl’s schools in Bulawayo, as well as girls’ boarding schools in surrounding districts,” reads part of the statement.
The initiative focuses on engaging children and young people in the excitement of live theatre performances and the building of a theatre scene that is vibrant, diverse and of high quality.
“The objective is to create a unique WITT/ Status of Women Artists Action Plan (SOWAP) footprint in Girls High Schools, as a prelude to Nhimbe’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence 2016 edition of performances under the “Nhimbe 16 day’s programme”.
“The participating Girls High Schools will be encouraged and technically supported to produce plays for consideration for the Nhimbe 16 Days programme. Three outstanding plays by Girls High Schools will then be featured in the Nhimbe 16 Days programme. The specific date in August for the premiere and its venue will be announced in due course,” reads the statement.
