Energy in Uganda
by Justin Dormitzer
Is changing the world even
possible? The musical “Witness Uganda” attempts to answer this question in an
emotional journey with Griffin Matthews who plays himself. Griffin is a black
American volunteer who arrives in Uganda from New York City to help build
houses. But things get complicated when he meets a group of poor street
orphans who reveal that there is more to the village than meets the eye.
The
story takes place in a variety of places such as New York, the village, and a
hilltop. In some scenes two places were even showed at once. The design crew did a beautiful job of
integrating all of these locations smoothly and seamlessly together. An
abundance of props were used to show these settings as well as different
backdrops and projections. Also, the stage moved to show height.
The
music in Witness Uganda was African music with a contemporary feel. Even though
it sounded African, there were modern elements and it was very upbeat and
energizing. All the singers were very strong and they work together as a
fantastic ensemble.
You could feel the energy
that the actors brought to the stage and they could feel the energy that the
audience was giving them. Even though it was not an interactive musical, I
still felt as though I was part of the action.
Even after the musical was
done, there was a Q and A session where Griffin talked about his real-life
experience and how it translated into the musical. Overall, witness Uganda
conveyed many emotions, while still being energetic.
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