MLIMA’s TALE by Lynn Nottage | May 4 – 21, 2023 at 7 Stages
KEY DATES:
May 4 & 5 Previews
May 6 Opening Reception
May 8 Pay What You Choose & Art of Activism
May 13 Service Saturday with WAAG
May 14 Mother’s Day B.O.G.O.
May 19 Performance with American Sign Language interpreter
May 20 Contemporary Dance Workshop w/ Nneka Kelly of Giwayen Mata
Mlima’s Tale is the story of a magnificent and beloved elephant, Mlima—one of the last big tuskers—who is killed by poachers in Kenya, and the journey of his tusks through the illegal ivory trade. As his prized tusks are trafficked through the international black market, Mlima’s spirit haunts those that seek to profit from his death. He is caught between yearning for his kin and the ancestors awaiting him to join them. This poetic tale gives voice to the objects we consume, the lives we exploit, and the planet we put at risk.
The play is a tour-de-force for a cast of four actors who play all the people whose desire and greed fuel their acts of crime and corruption. Olubajo “Bajo” Sonubi stars as Mlima, with Christopher Hampton, Ryan Vo, and Antonia LaChe under the direction of Lydia Fort. Live musical accompaniment by Ali Barr, with musical compositions and direction by Eugene H. Russell IV.
History of Mlima's Tale
Mlima’s Tale by two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage, premiered off-Broadway in 2018 at the Public Theater to praise by critics and audiences. It was such a hit that the Public Theater extended its run for an additional two weeks. Press on the play included:
“Those of you who don’t believe in ghosts are likely to think again after seeing MLIMA’S TALE, Lynn Nottage’s beautiful, endlessly echoing portrait of a murder and its afterlife… Each character, inhabiting a rung on an ascending ladder of power, is very clearly defined but without grotesque caricature… [Nottage] packs a wealth of cultural, political and economic detail into each scene, from Maasai superstitions to the statistics of the illegal ivory trade.” —Ben Brantley, NY Times
In the initial production, the titular Mlima was portrayed by Sahr Ngaujah, who began his theatre career with the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta at 7 Stages. Now, Sahr is an internationally renowned actor and director, and is making efforts to connect arts communities in Atlanta and the Netherlands.
7 Stages has planned this production since 2019, only to be delayed several times by COVID-19. In 2022, Director Lydia Fort visited Kenya to research the complex relationship of elephant poaching with life and society there. Fort began the trip in the Tsavo National Parks, the very place that Mlima was from, speaking with scientists, rangers, local organizations and community members. That trip put a fire under the production’s goals of being as ecologically conscious as possible as she witnessed firsthand the effects of the ongoing drought, with the country facing its fifth failed rainy season–the region’s worst drought in 40 years.
Meet the Cast!
This is Olubajo “Bajo” Sonubi’s 3rd collaboration with 7 stages, and he feels blessed to be part of this production. Bajo is a graduate of University of Georgia, and Southern Methodist University. When not working in film/tv, Bajo throws himself into supporting the arts as a volunteer, director, producer, teacher, actor, and supporter of emerging artists and community focused organizations.
Ryan Vo (Ensemble) is a rising Vietnamese American actor currently based here in Atlanta. He is beyond excited and thankful to be collaborating with the artistic team at 7 Stages for the first time. Regional Credits: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jungle Book, Alice Between, (Alliance Theatre). Desire Under the Elms, Hometown Boy, Crossroads, An Octoroon, Appropriate, and The Crucible (Actor’s Express). Kim’s Convenience (Aurora Theatre & Horizon Theatre). The Book of Will (Theatrical Outfit). King Lear, The Three Musketeers, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern); The Hobbit (Synchronicity Theatre). Tarzan! Musical (Atlanta Lyric Theatre).Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare on Draught). Dangerous Women (The Weird Sisters Project). Acting Apprentice at Actor’s Express 2016-2017. He received a B.F.A Acting degree from The University of Southern Mississippi. Ryan is represented by The People Store, TV/Film Agency.
imdb.me/RyanVo Instagram: @TheRyanVo
Antonia LaChe’ is extremely proud that this production with cast and crew marks her debut performance with 7 Stages! The material is heartfelt and challenging. Select Performance credits include Atlanta: Cassie’s Ballad (Found Stages), Crossroads (Actor’s Express); Macbeth (Synchronicity Theatre); Romeo & Juliet (Atlanta Shakespeare Company); Regional: The Colored Museum, Stop Kiss, A Flea In Her Ear, Clybourne Park, Dracula, Underpants (Hilberry Theatre); National Players Tour 65: Macbeth, Comedy of Errors, Odyssey (Olney Theatre Center). Education: MFA in Acting from Wayne State University.
antonialache.wixsite.com/mysite IG: @antonialache
Christopher Hampton is overjoyed to join 7 Stages again to deliver this vital play. His last production with 7 Stages was “Revolt, She said…Revolt Again” Christopher was last seen on stage with Horizon theatre in “Kim’s Convenience” and will next be seen as Bob Crochet in The Alliance Theatre’s Production of “A Christmas Carol” When not on stage Christopher serves as a board member for Working Title Playwrights (www.workingtitleplaywrights.com) and is COO of The Point of Health Wellness Center (www.Healthatthepoint.com) an acupuncture clinic that he runs with his wife, who he is thankful for everyday.
Green Theatre Practices and More
In partnership with Atlanta Green Theatre Alliance (of which Fort is a co-founder), 7 Stages will undergo a Green Theatre audit to set new standards for live productions which includes the reuse of materials and eliminating waste wherever possible. We are also forming relationships with wildlife conservation and environmental groups based in Atlanta and abroad.
As part of the Art of Activism programming that accompanies each of our productions, 7 Stages will provide a platform for an open dialogue related to the themes of Mlima’s Tale during the run, as well as a Service Saturday event, providing community resources and opportunities for action. Both of these events are complimentary and open to the public.
MLIMA’S TALE is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Based on the article “The Ivory Highway” by Damon Tabor. Originally developed and produced by The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director).
This research was supported in part by the Halle Institute for Global Research and the University Research Committee of Emory University.
