More drama in Sudan

This past January I finally had the opportunity to return to Sudan! Happy happy joy joy! 

And finally now posting about it...

Woeballay sajami! (Oh my God!) What a rollercoaster. I was all geared up to go and then the program got completely canceled because the Sudanese ministry wouldn’t give a permit. And then suddenly we did get a permit through another ministry. But then I couldn’t get a visa! Everybody else had gotten theirs, but me. Every day I was waiting with baited breath and packed bags to find out if today would be the day that I’d get my visa and could get on a plane headed to Khartoum. And the days went by! It started to seem that a return to Sudan was not in my stars. But finally, finally I got it.  Sudan, here I come!

Alhamdulillah, together again with my wonderful students! After the challenging way things had ended last year and now the uncertainty of my return, there was so much anticipation built up and then so much joy in actually seeing each other again in flesh and blood. We didn’t think it possible and here we were. Happy reunion.

Because of the delays we only ended up having 10 days together. It may sound like plenty but it’s not nearly enough! There was so much to try to accomplish with training and creating performances. A whirlwind of intense activity, over much too soon. But I was just glad for any time at all with my dear students.

I hit the ground running and went straight from a 13 hour flight to teach with no time to lose!  This time I worked with two groups of young adult students at Sudan University, Department of Drama. In addition to my old students, I had a whole new group to contend with as well. The first day was a marathon of auditions to select participants from a seemingly endless parade of students who were all gung-ho to join. I would of course love to work with them all, but I had to settle on a manageable group of about 20.

Fierce women!

The security guard got a kick out of our antics!

With the new students we developed several short pieces on social issues relevant to Sudanese youth.

Three male students did a piece on drug addiction among college students, performed entirely through movement with no speaking. All of them died at the end! It was intense. I didn’t realize drug abuse would be a huge issue among Sudanese youth, but I guess it’s the same everywhere. And certainly in Sudan there is a lot of frustration and despondence over lack of opportunities for youth, which I imagine might drive many to escape into drugs.

Another group did a piece about female circumcision and its harmful consequences, focusing on the reality of childbirth complications. The mother ends up dying and the young father ends up alone with his newborn girl, and swears the same thing will never happen to her. In Sudan most girls are circumcised but there seems to be a debate and a push to end this practice.

A third group created a piece about women’s education and how often rural, traditional families are against letting their daughters attend university. Many of the girls in the class had struggled with their families about letting them study and especially to let them study drama. They expressed this right away in our first introduction. Of course, even in the Western world parents don’t want their kids to study drama… These young women were passionate and proud of their choice to devote themselves to theater.

Then another group explored the issue of youth losing touch with their Sudanese cultural roots and identity, instead obsessed with watching Indian and American movies. This became a very funny scene with a trio acting out Bollywood and action film sequences. One female student had an actual black belt in karate (!) and it was fabulous to see her karate kicks, “knocking out” the two guys. Girl power! The audience loved it.

Finally, we had a clown trio who played with the theme of young men who are not able to marry because of the high cost of a wedding. In Sudan it has become a norm and a requirement to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a lavish wedding. As much as $50K. Insane! But no self-respecting young lady will agree to a cheap wedding. What would people say?! So many young men simply can’t get married, and neither can the young women then, leading to frustration expressing it in various destructive actions, one of the students explained, such as petty crime, drug abuse, as well as premarital sex. There were three guys in the class who were each really funny personas, just naturally, and I thought they would make an excellent clown trio. I was right! They took the idea and ran with it – three clowns lamenting that they can’t get married and desperate to find someone, and finally they pick a woman in the audience, singing and dancing off with glee to go get her – it was hilarious. 

The students were all wonderful, but overall needed a lot of training. We worked really hard, and in the end they all rose to the occasion and did a fantastic show. It was an informal showing this year for other university students. No gigantic event like last time with press, officials and huge audience, we kept it on the lowdown this year. But still a great culmination to an intensive 10 days.

Dearest to my heart, of course, was getting to work again with my students from last year. We have a special bond. There was a magic that happened last year in this group in our work together, Lydia and I and the students. I have special love for these students. Even if they drive me nuts sometimes (Sudanese time!*). And they are truly in a whole other league from the other students. These students are very much in their bodies and really into movement work.

[*Sudanese time... Starting a half hour or so late.... or more!]

They expressed a strong desire to learn more about movement and how to express ideas without speaking. But it seemed to come from a lingering fear that being too explicit in their work would get them into trouble. They are still traumatized from last year’s experience! Repeatedly I was asked to please make sure that their work is symbolic enough so they won’t get stopped again. We spoke about what happened last year. The students told me there had been negative repercussions. The press and all the mosques denounced the show, and they got in trouble with their teachers (this is surprising, I must say, their drama teachers?!). Because the students had said “bad things” about Sudan. One student told me he lost a job opportunity once the prospective employer found out about his involvement in the show. But others said they had also had positive effects. It had boosted their position as respected theater practitioners and helped get a position as a university teaching assistant. Regardless of consequences, they were certainly determined to continue on!

They are such passionate young people -- and deeply philosophical, spiritual in their quest of expression... They wanted to explore a movement (dance theater) piece about struggle, survival and solidarity among disparate peoples seeking unity. It got deep. At first they spoke of focusing on a positive perspective this time, leaving the audience feeling good, finding unity. But little by little they started weaving in the theme of being oppressed as a people... Inevitably!

I was sad to have to leave them so soon and not be there with them for their final performance at the embassy. Because, yes, a big performance had been arranged and finally they would get to have their show without interruption! But, alas, it was not to be! I thought we had a happy ending…

On my last day with them they took me out on an excursion by the Nile and treated me to traditional Sudanese food. Such joy and spirit and love! A wonderful way to end this time around. 

I had to leave but a week later they were to perform their show, and I was tough on them to motivate them to get together on their own and rehearse. And then because of some mishaps, on the very day of performance they were told they could not perform! Foiled again! This time it really was bureaucratic red tape (security issues at the embassy), and not the Sudanese gov’t that stopped it, but nonetheless of course the students feel shut down. I felt so bad. I had promised them they would have their show and they would not get shut down. But sometimes, shit happens, as they say. Do not let it keep you down. Onward and upward! 

Love my Sudanese students so much!