Zimbabwean Producer Unleashes New One-Man Play

Oct. 23, 2008 - PRLog -- Award-winning producer, Tafadzwa Muzondo returns to theatre next week as playwright, director and producer of an edgy multi-dimensional one-man act, This Or That, played by fellow award-winning Upcoming Actor; and NAMA 2005 Best Theatre Actor Nominee, Everson Ndlovu.  


The play focuses on Hardlife, a poor artist from the ghetto who expresses the imaginations and hallucinations quizzing his importance to the society. This or That is, among many other things, about a young artist writing a script reminscing about his life, " dealing with reality a little differently."  Inciting, inspiring, enraging and intriguing, This or that promises to leave audiences engaged.


The artist, as styled by Muzondo, gets miserable in the dialogues and monologues. He reverts back to past events, offer a quip or two on the state of the arts in Zimbabwe, picks on one or two irrelevent subjects since the producer says he wants the audience to leave the 'theatre with a spring in its step!"


To elaborate would be to give too much away, but its a rare treat that can make you laugh while rubbing your nose in the dirt.


The meandering story potrayed in an surreal and fictional script being written by Hardlife chronicles his day-on-hell as he is mocked at by a wasted and once-renowned TV, film and theatre producer, faces the wrath of a miserable landlady, and brawls with a corrupt cop.


In attempt to give meaning and life to his artistry, Hardlife creates and rehearses some poetry and rats about owning "a table full of creations and ideas," but hold on "the Ladylady does not eat ideas!"


Although Hardlife and  his idealism get a kicking at the hands of operatives, producers, cops, and even the old miserable landlady, he learns a salutary lesson that trying to survive as a poor zimbabwean artist is not only a lifestyle but also a way of creating. Or some equally painful dogma.


This or That are the reflections, expectations, expeditions, experiments, aspirations, imaginations and even appropriations in the rough world of hardlife. The artists's life as characterised in the play, engages the audience in some revealing ways that look at the serious state of Zimbabwean arts.


On the production and technical side, This or That draws young and energetic talents including 2007-8 Global Young Entreprenuer and Innovator of the year, Novell zwangendaba, University of Zimbabwe Theatre Arts lecturer, Kevin Chikonzo, multimedia producer and media scholar Charles Mutengwa,  and stage and set designer Josh Changa


It is difficult to picture one-actor playing several roles of over ten characters, but in This or That, one, Hardlife, is split between 'him and himself,' giving us a glimpse into a part fictional and part real surreal life that characterises an ordinary day by day lifestyle of an average Zimbabwean artist.


The play opens at Theatre in the Park on Thursday this 30th of October 2008, it runs non-stop til the November the 9th, daily at 5.30pm .