Uganda pt 8 of ?

I'll be awake long enough to post a few more pictures. I have to say, I'm glad I schlepped my laptop and camera here. I wouldn't be able to post everything when I return home. It would've been too much. As the days pass, as we meet more and more people, everything gets clouded. I'm starting to look at the posts to remind myself what I did and how I felt.

So, yay for technology and yay for blogging.

We rise up in a few hours and climb into a bus for an 8 hour drive to Lake Bunyonyi, close to the border of Rwanda. Our time in Kampala has come to an end. So crazy! We packed in a lot in a few days. Such as:



A visit to this grass roots organization founded by Beatrice Were.



We were greeted by a small group of women.
A few members of the drama program sang songs for us.



Fatima showed off the jewelry the women make.



During our visit more people showed up until we had a group of about 30. They discussed challenges they face in their communities and programs offered through the organization.

Later that day we went to Makerere University's Music, Dance, and Drama Department.



Dr. Mercy Mirembe Ntangaare, Dean of the Department.



Playwright and professor Patrick Mangeni spoke to us about the theater scene in Kampala.

He introduced us to theater artists all affiliated with the university (alums, current students, faculty). Listening to everyone speak, I was struck by everyone's passion. Drama can empower artists all over the world, huh?



Filmmaker Steven Nyeko.



Students discussing the kinds of theater they like.



Faculty discussing the audiences who go to the theater in Uganda.

Listening to the students made me think how small the gripes about American critics are, the gripes about the few slots, the gripes about regional hits. All of that stuff is a blip on the map of world-wide drama.

No joke.

I felt a lil lame trying to describe what goes down as an "American" playwright. Any way I look at it it seems incredibly silly to talk about American theater while I'm in Africa. I can talk about what I do, but I'm not so good at translating the establishment.

The good thing is the rest of the crew can talk about anything with anybody which gives me room to step back and listen, observe. I'm taking pictures, jotting down notes, chewing on bits of ideas and such.