Umnqophiso The Covenant, Theatre
Venue: Centenary Hall
Next performance: Wednesday 2 July 19:00
Interview
Words and photo by Sindisiwe Tshona
Makhanda playwright Nosithembiso Alyce Kuhlane says her emotions are all over the place. There are two main reasons.
First, she’s making her debut at the National Arts Festival (NAF) with her first original stage production, Umnqophiso The Covenant, which she wrote, directed and produced herself.
Second, the play explores the emotional and spiritual complexities of navigating between Christianity and traditional African beliefs. She was inspired to write the play by the personal confusion that she faced in her own life.
“I come from a family that is split in half. One side of the family is Christian, while the other side is African spiritual people. I do not know which road or path to follow,” Kuhlane said.
She says this means you can potentially have an identity that is not who you are truly supposed to be. “African traditions have been reshaped so many times, especially by Western cultures and influence. What you see in most African homes is an adaptation of Western tradition instead of following the African traditions that we have at home.”
Can spirituality and Christianity coexist? Kuhlane is on a journey to discover the answer to that question, which is what gave birth to the play.
“Whether you choose to be a Christian or an African spiritual person, please be bold in your decision and stick to your tradition. This production is not here to judge one or the other. It is not to say one is better than the other. It’s mainly to say, stick to your belief and be proud about it,” she said.
She will be performing for the first time in her hometown and at NAF. “It’s a big stepping stone for me. It still hasn’t sunk in yet. It still feels like it hasn’t happened yet. I feel like I would only be able to grasp it when everything has concluded,” Kuhlane said.
Makhanda has a rich musical tradition – the city is awash with talented singers and musicians. But there are a few other theatre productions, apart from those mounted by Rhodes University and some schools. Offering a theatre production was a challenge for Kuhlane.
