AYO THEATER: YEAR IN REVIEW
Ayo Theater is a production company committed to telling authentic African stories, showcasing the continent's rich and vibrant cultural heritage, and opening minds to Africa.
At Ayo Theater, we pride ourselves as keepers and promoters of traditional African culture, language, and stories. This sentiment is reflected in our line-up of plays that graced several stages this year. We kicked off the year with Baki Fari at the Chain Theatre, followed by The Gospel of Efunroye at the Soho Playhouse, then The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo at Teatro La Tea, and 1983 at the Chain Theatre. All plays are written and directed by Taiwo Aloba.
As an African playwright, I grew up in a world where theatre takes place on the street, in the performances of masquerade figures and the festivals relating to trades, crafts, seasonal rhythms, marriages, and funerals.
2022 Productions
1. Baki Fari at the Chain Theater, February 2022
One of our groundbreaking plays premiered on stage this year is "Baki Fari." With twenty percent of the script written in the Hausa Language, a language spoken by a large ethnic group in Nigeria, we could effectively tell a story of the recurring violence and kidnapping in the Northern part of Nigeria. Then, a few weeks after production wrapped, an Abuja-Kaduna train was attacked by terrorists in Kaduna. This made us more convinced that we were telling an important story.
Cast: Wendy Oduor and Mariama Conde
Crew: Taiwo Aloba & Jenna Kole
Photo and Video: Kenneth Watson and Dade Allevato
2. The Gospel of Efunroye at the Soho Playhouse, April 2022
With less than a month to prep, we made this production happen! It was a surreal experience staging this play at an iconic Off-broadway Theater and, most importantly, working with most of the cast from the original production.
Cast: Sean Coffey, Wendy Oduor, Babajide Ajisafe, and King Downing
Crew: Taiwo Aloba & Jenna Kole
Photo: Kenneth Watson and Yi Chiang
3. The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo at Teatro La Tea, May-June 2022
Our First Full-length play had its world premiere at the New York Theater Festival in MAY 2022. Thirty percent of the play was written and performed in the Yoruba language, a Niger-Congo language. A large population speaks the Yoruba language around the world. It is spoken in Western Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Brazil, Cuba, etc. At Ayo Theater, we believe that Theater originated from Africa, from our religious rituals, songs, war dance, drums, the long-standing masquerade tradition of the Yoruba, and chants.
The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo won the award for the Most Creative Play at the New York Theater Festival. The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo is based on a century-old Yoruba folklore about the god of thunder and lightning, Sango. With this production, we brought the Old Oyo Kingdom to a New York Stage. Adopting the Guriella Theater format, we staged an award-winning indigenous show with a cast of ten magnificent African and African American actors and a lean crew of four.
Cast: Watson Mere, Makeena Rivers, Olamide Asanpaola, Deandra Bernardo, Babajide Ajisafe, Elisha Glass, Peter Johnson, Angelle Laguerre, Briana Johnson, and King Downing.
Crew: Taiwo Aloba, Jenna Kole, Joseph Cobb, & Ashley Dallas
Photo & Video: Yi Chiang
4. 1983 at the Chain Theater, July 2022
A one-act historical play about the economic crisis in Nigeria in 1983: This is a significant play; it shows a side of our history that many are unaware of. The play seeks answers to the age-old philosophical question; what is the true nature of man? With an excellent cast, we had a good run at the Chain Theater.
Cast: Keidy Barrientos, Fedly Daniel, and Nnaemeka Okeke
Crew: Taiwo Aloba & Jenna Kole
Photo and Video: Yi Chiang
A huge thank you and congratulations to the wonderful creatives that worked on these productions. A huge thank you to the theaters and festivals that hosted us. A huge thank you to all our collaborators and well-wishers.
As an independently owned theater company, we rely on the support of good-hearted people to support our plays and fill out the theaters. So, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank our incredible audience and look forward to seeing you all again.
We have so many exciting projects in the works. We can't wait to share it with you all!
If you want to learn more about our plays and production, contact ayotheater@gmail.com and follow us on all social channels. We would love to share the inspiration behind our work with you.
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