Telling the African story in the USA

Malawian actor and theatre instructor Thokozani Kapiri is using his time at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, United States to further the African narrative through the theatre stage. He led a Pan-African Theatre Ensemble in a devised spoken word theatre performance titledPoetry in Motion: Voices Rising, a production he co-produced with American playwright Pella Felton and South African Amanda Black. ThePoetry in Motion: Voices Risingis a narrative of three overlapping stories of xenophobia and immigration set-up in South Africa, law battles that the trans-communities are going through in today’s America and a mother’s love and loss packed in one box.

Speaking from his base in the US, Kapiri said the play is a collage of three texts; one from hisTales of a Migrantproduction, the second narrative is from Amanda Black’sPenny Full of Wholesand the lastThis is Pella Feltonfrom Pella Felton. He said: “Tales of A Migranttalks about a youthful Malawian who takes a bus to South Africa searching for a greener pasture. He faces a backlash of xenophobic violence.

With the economy getting worse in Nyasaland, the choice becomes about choosing between a rock and a hard place. “Penny Full of Wholeswitnesses a woman grieving and not letting go of a box tied to her leg full of memorabilia about her recently deceased mother. She cannot come to terms with it, making her depressed, dysfunctional and in denial that her mother is gone until reality hits “The last textThis is Pella Feltonis about trans-justice, self-actualisation and empowerment using selected poems ‘Draw the Barrel/ Blood Work/ Barrel the Draw,’ ‘January 11, 2025 (The Last Night of Disco),’ andPresence.

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“They all raise serious questions about the diminishing queer space in today’s America, specifically in this case, Ohio; the future looks grim for queer people in that text but they try to just have a good time, and sustain a glimmer of hope.” Kapiri said the scenes were episodic such that the narratives and the characters were interwoven where one could not exactly tell where one narrative begins or end as each author spoke from a semi-autobiographical point of view. “I tapped into my time at Wits University in South Africa around 2008-2010 where xenophobic attacks were rampant. Alongside compatriot Nyamalikiti Nthiwatiwa we were part of the research survey at Wits Department of Forced Migration that interviewed Malawians who were affected,” he said.

Kapiri said Pella, as a trans-citizen, has had to fight with the anti-trans laws that keep threating their lives to the point of losing their passports despite being an American citizen. anti-LGBTQ law was being deliberated in the Ohio legislature, creating more uncertainty in their community in terms of basic human rights.” Kapiri said students and staff members had a rare chance to appreciate African aesthetic elements as he injected Chichewa, Zulu and Xhosa lines and songs in the predominantly English speaking audience.

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