MEETINGS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

Meetings have consequences. (posted 11.1.23) That’s the first take away one gets from watching John Sibi Okumu’s play, “Meetings’ which was staged on opening night of the Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITFEST) following its successful staging earlier this year at Alliance Francaise. Directed by Prevail Arts’ founder and award-winning actor, producer, director, and scriptwriter, Martin Kigondu, the play explores some of Kenya’s darkest days during its recent past. The period following the 1982 coup was apocalyptic in that Daniel arap Moi gave a green light to goon squads going out to collect anyone breathing a hint of criticism of him or his autocratic regime. It meant that spies, moles, and traitors to ordinary Kenyans (like Ben Teke’s character, Meshack) were everywhere. It meant that no one knew who they could trust since your neighbor might be a spy for Moi. If so, the next thing you knew, you could be picked up overnight like Samora’s and Faoulata’s father, Augustus (Gibson Ndaiga) who had to flee the country before he was tortured in the basement of Nyayo House. No one dared speak their mind or share the bitterness they felt for the loss of freedom to speak out against what had befallen both the country and whole families, like those shattered during those traumatic times. Meetings is an intimate portrayal of one family’s matriarch, Gran (Marrianne Nungo) and her efforts to bring her children together after their ties had been shattered, both by politics and by delicate sensitivities that Kigondu brought out well in his outstanding cast. The play has a powerful message, but it probably deserved a more exclusive slot in the KITFEST schedule, rather than being staged at the tail end of the opening night’s program. The first unraveling of this dysfunctional family’s past comes as Augustus aka Gus (Gibson Ndaiga) and his African-American son, Samora (Cosmos Kirui) return to Kenya after Gus’s 26 years living in exile in the States. It’s the time for Samora to be introduced to family, including his jovial Uncle Julius (Emmanuel Mulili) and the sister Faoulata (Red Brenda) that he never knew he had until his uncle Julius tells him she exists. This is just one of the stunning secrets revealed during the play’s multiple meetings. Julius initially looks jovial, but he secretly harbors deep seated feelings of resentment towards his older brother even before Gus fled. His internal wounds only festered while his bro was away, only to burst out in their final family meeting. The climatic volatility of Julius’ powerful outburst was toned down for FESTAC, compared to an earlier performance this year. But the raw emotions were still there. Esther (Hannah Wanjiru), Gus’s girlfriend, had never told him before he fled that she was pregnant. Nor did she tell him about Faoulata’s birth. Consequently, Esther suffered as a single mother who blamed Gus for going, but who was also conflicted since she knew it was her choice not to tell him in good time. So, she too has tender feelings when he comes to see his child and for the siblings to meet. Faoulata also had to ensure her boyfriend Zeke (Steve Gitau) meets her Gran since she and her grandmother are close. Gran approves of the lad, irrespective of his being the son of the traitor Meshack (Ben Tekee) who Gran had known at Makerere University where she had been the first woman from her village to attend university. In fact, the play starts off in the first of a series of meetings, with Gran regaling her granddaughter with tales of her past life, being a hot chick who followed trendy fashions and drove the men wild with her flirtatious figure and matching intellect. But she is a widow now and wants nothing more than to bring her family together and heal their wounds in the process. But what we see from this bird’s eye view of the one-on-one meetings is that they all have issues that the Gran hopes to resolve to bring her family altogether. One other reason Gran wants that last meeting is for Samora to see how complicated his extended family is. He’s their embodiment of youthful hope in the present and future. Hope is also reflected by the anticipated wedding of Faoulata and Zeke, with her being the child of a freedom fighter, and Zeke, son to a post-colonial Home Guard who enjoys the fruits of Independence that only those who compromised with the colonizers who remain in Kenya to this day.