CAPA Offers Free Community Day at the Lincoln Theatre Featuring Sunjata Kamalenya on November 10
Posted: October 8, 2019
As part of its year-long 50th anniversary celebration, CAPA presents a free community day at the Lincoln Theatre on Sunday, November 10, that includes a live performance of the Experiential Theater Company’s family-friendly and interactive production, Sunjata Kamalenya, and related, hands-on arts activities prior to the featured presentation.
Based on the story of the Lion King, Sunjata Kamalenya chronicles the struggles of a young boy destined to be the leader of the Mandé people of West Africa. Traditional music, costumes, and scenery take audiences to a village compound where a storyteller guides a theatrical experience that celebrates the spirit of determination and the love of family in the face of seemingly impossible odds. Pre-show arts activities include opportunities to learn African dance, craft an African-inspired costume piece, and participate in an interactive story time.
CAPA presents the Sunjata Kamalenya Free Community Day on Sunday, November 10. Pre-show arts activities begin at 1:30 pm with the performance beginning at 3pm. Admission to the pre-show activities and performance is free, but space is limited. Admittance will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis as space permits.
This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. CAPA’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration is made possible through the generous support of the American Electric Power Foundation and Nationwide, with special support provided by Huntington Bank.
About Sunjata Kamalenya
Sunjata Kamalenya (translated: Sunjata for Youth) is a completely interactive production which celebrates the greatest hero of West African legend, Sunjata Keita, the first mansa (king) of the ancient Empire of Mali. The great 13th century epic takes place in a magical world filled with sorcery and enchantment. A wandering hunter comes to the village of Farrakoro and makes the hard-to-believe prediction that a crippled boy and his outcast mother will overcome all odds to deliver their nation from a despotic sorcerer warlord. What follows is their adversarial struggles and the strength they derive from their faith in one another.
Authentic music, costumes, and scenery invite audiences to a modern Mandé village where the jelimuso (storyteller) guides them in a journey, singing, dancing, and acting alongside professional actors and musicians in a truly unique experience.
About the Experiential Theater Company
Under the direction of Christopher Parks, the Experiential Theater Company is dedicated to creating high quality theater opportunities for young audiences. While at the McCarter Theatre Center, Parks and some associates pioneered the interactive style which became its namesake. Student and family audiences typically come to the theater expecting to see a play, but what they find out very quickly is that they are there to be in a play. They are co-creators and collaborators who sing, dance, and act alongside professional performers. It is a safe environment, so whatever the audience's interest in participating, everyone feels just as welcome to watch as those who come up and play.
