Newsletter Beira Project II: July 16 2010
Luis Pedro Coelho
Here is a second update on what we have been up to.
GET YOURSELF A GIFT: http://kck.st/9Kk23l
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We are now rehearsing with Kufunana to put on a show based on Schitzler's La
Ronde, a play from 1900, based on Viennese society and its sexual mores. At
the time, the hidden theme was syphilis. Now, in Mozambique, it's HIV. And
everything old is new again.
We are trying to get a bit of extra money to put on the show. Even $2 or $3 is
a good help over here, but we are actually giving people gifts for their
generosity. We have a capulanas and capulana-made bags (see pictures attached
of capulana) to thank your generosity. See http://kck.st/9Kk23l
For beiraproject friends (you), we will add a bit extra in the mail.
ESMABAMA MISSIONS
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We have now spent one week in 3 of EsMaBaMa's missions. During the day, we
taught the students theatre classes. All the missions had pre-existing
structures that used theatre (it's a part of Mozambican structure) so we were
able to tap into that and, hopefully, give them a push. We taught two shifts
each time, morning and afternoon. In one of the missions, the students
presented at the end. That was a good experience too. The audience here is
very informal, which makes it much tougher. If it's good, they will give the
actor silence to perform and clap enthusiastically at the end; otherwise, they
feel free to comment, talk, and laugh.
We were happy enough that the students were interested in reading poems and
learning about poetry. Some even asked us at the end if we had any English
language poems for them to continue working on.
In the evenings, the missions have electricity (from 18 to 21, as they say
here). We tried to teach the teachers some computer skills, with mixed
success. In Barada, in particular, even though there was electricity and
interested teachers, the electric supply was just not strong or even enough to
sustain a computer for long and we gave up.
INTERVIEWS
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We interviewed several people and have several hours of very interesting
video. We are still working through it, but we'll start posting excerpts on
the blog over the week-end. Check http://beiraproject.org
NEXT WEEKS
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We continue to work with Kufunana (rehearsal every day) and, after we premier,
we will visit the last of EsMaBaMa's missions, in Mangunde. W
Thank you,
--
Luis Pedro Coelho
http://kck.st/9Kk23l
