African tales shared in Rosebud

Times Reporter

 

Under the Mango Tree is inspired by true events in the life of Rosebud School of the Arts student Lennette Randall. The play, which will run Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, will be held outside behind the Rosebud church. Randall said there is a tree in a really good spot behind the Rosebud church and there is also a labyrinth around the tree.

“The whole thing revolves around a tree. When I was in my second year of school we were asked to do some research assignments on different kinds of theatre and I realized I didn’t know much about African theatre,” said Randall.

After doing some research she found in the early century in African villages story time was a beloved time and members of the village would gather around a tree located in the center of the village and tell each other stories. 

Randall herself grew up on story time when she lived in Sierra Leone and said stories would be passed along from her great grandma to her grandma, aunt, uncles and cousins. 

“I realized I was forgetting some of those stories. Over the last couple of years I lost a few memories of my family, my aunt, my grandma and my grandpa,” said Randall.

“So I wanted to string together all these different African stories that I remembered and share it with the community to say this is where I’m coming from, these are the stories I grew up on. I didn’t remember as much of it as I’d hoped and that was a little disappointing.”

One morning Randall woke up and began writing down as much as she could remember, which is when she came up with her female character Twyla-Angel. Twyla, played by Randall, is a theatre student who decides to find herself a tree where she can sit and re-enact African folk tales. Once she finds a tree that she likes and claims as her own, she finds out it had been previously claimed by a male student Danny (Conrad Belau) who she dislikes. It turns into a battle when neither is willing to share nor give up the prized spot. 

“Eventually they just find a way of sharing it,” said Randall. 

Originally Randall had written the script for indoors because there are a number of lighting effects to go along with the show, but being a busy time of year it was a little difficult to find everything she would need to pull it together.

She had panicked a little at the thought of running it outside initially but eventually found her way back out there. Being outside has cut down a lot of production elements that Randall would have had to worry about if the performance had been inside. 

“It’s actually a really nice space, I’m really pleased with it and the tree turned out to be very flexible and easy to climb,” said Randall. 

Under the Mango Tree is Randall’s final student project with Rosebud School, though she still has a few things to take care of before graduating. 

She is hoping to join the Alberta theatre world, and hopes to one day find a way to blend African theatre with western theatre. 

Under The Mango Tree runs Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m., Sept. 1 with two shows at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and the final show will be Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.

The production takes place in an outdoor setting in Rosebud, behind the Church near the Labyrinth Tree. Tickets are $12. For more information either call 403-820-5570 or email africanmangotree.com.