By Ogova Ondego
Published April 24, 2016
To be. or not to be; that wasn’t the question for the lovers of theatre in Nairobi when they gathered at Moonlight Academy on April 23,2016.
The mainly youthful audience were at Moonlight in Ng’ando Village, Dagoretti Sub-County, to enjoy music, dance and drama served with youthful energy and enthusiasm.
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Also present at the event were journalists, critics and talent scouts and managers.
First on stage was Raiderz 3D Crew who mesmerised the crowd with their almost hypnotic and mind-boggling moves. Joy radiated from their faces that oozed with enthusiasm as the skins of the three dancers glistened with sweat. At the end of the attention-gripping show, the MC had to ask the dancers–Kevin Lihanda, Claus Osanya and Chris Mchanji–whether they are human and if so, what they eat!
Then came Geatrics Family with a play titled Nalia (I Cry). It is a gripping tale of family drama in which things don’t always turn out as they appear from the surface.
Wanja Mwangi as Nalia, Sylvia Mwangi as Nalia’s mother and Victor Layson as Nalia’s father are singled out here for their sterling performance in their respective roles.
Also to be commended for their dancing prowess are Juliet Kimani and Josephine Wairimu.
The hopeful youth posed many questions concerning what the future has in store for them in the Kenyan arts sector.They asked for advice and appealed for support as they pledged to pursue their dreams in the largely uncertain world of Kenya’s creative sector.
Almost all the performers have just completed secondary school and are about to join university. But before then, they are trying their hand at the arts. Are they just testing the waters to see whether they have what it takes?
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No, they say. They have made up their minds and all they now need is mentorship from practising artists in the East African country.
Elsa Oguya of Elsteel International handled the public relations role for the day-long activity which ended after 6:00 PM.
