Acclaimed playwright Danai Gurira returns to Chicago with her newest work The Convert which focuses on Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean identity. Directed by Emily Mann, the play features Pascale Armand, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Kevin Mambo, LeRoy McClain, Warner Joseph Miller, and Harold Surratt.
“I am interested in tapping into the experiences of Africans in a period of history that directly informs the Africa we know now,” explains Gurira, who was born in America, raised in Zimbabwe, and who returned to America to attend New York University. “One of the main themes in The Convert is the idea of finding one’s true self when faced with several institutional ideologies. I think this is something that Africa still struggles with—as a whole and as individuals—but we rarely see that dramatized.”
“Danai is a thrilling new voice in the American theater; her incisive, riveting In The Continuum left a lasting impression on Chicago when we produced it in 2007,” states Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls. “I’m excited to welcome her back, as well as to collaborate with Emily Mann—one of America’s top-tier playwrights, directors and adaptors whose work I’ve admired for more than two decades.”
A world-premiere co-production with McCarter Theatre Center and Center Theatre Group, The Convert performs at Goodman’s Owen Theatre from February 25 to March 25, following a four-week run at McCarter. “The Goodman is proud to produce this important new play together with two wonderful partner theaters, McCarter Theatre Center and Center Theatre Group,” adds Falls.
The creative team for The Convert includes Daniel Ostling (Set), Paul Tazewell (Costumes), Lap Chi Chu (Lighting) and Darron L. West (Sound).
Following each Wednesday performance, Owen Theatre audiences are invited to attend a free post-show discussion with members of the artistic staff.Tickets ($12 – $42) can be purchased online at GoodmanTheatre.org; by phone at 312-443-3800; or at the box office on 170 North Dearborn.
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