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Theatre in the Park to re-open after HIFA 2011
Rooftop Promotions
March 28, 2011

Theatre in the Park will take an early break for HIFA as the regional production that was earmarked to follow after "365" did not come through owing to some technical challenges. This means the first season, which opened with an explosive fusion of theatre and acrobatics from Malawi entitled "Ganyu", has hosted two productions instead of the planned three productions. The venue, which was meant to close on the 16th of April to pave way for HIFA, will re-open on the 10th of May 2011.

"We had promised our fans two regional productions this season so as to revive the regional quota that we had stopped owing to economic challenges of yesteryears. When we realized that we could not bring "My friend and Me" from South Africa to close our season, we did not have adequate time to fill the slot with a local production from the scripts we have as we needed time for that production to go into rehearsal and this meant the production would only be ready when HIFA is starting so we decided to close with this one. We even tried to identify a ready production but could not secure a perfect replacement for what we had promised our fans," says Daves Guzha the founder and Producer of Rooftop Promotions.

The two productions we have hosted so far have been well received particularly "365" which opened on international women's day (8 March 2011) and closed on Saturday 26th March. The curtain came down on a high note to this production which managed to stimulate open and objective discussion on gender based violence throughout its run. For those who saw Ganyu, they would agree that it was a first at Theatre in the park which was directed by a physical theatre artist, Stanley Mambo, a Malawian who once worked in Zimbabwe directing plays like "All Systems Out Of Order" and "Heaven's Diary which were staged at Theatre in the Park as well as featuring in the local TV soap, "Studio 263".

"As we apologise and regret any inconviniences caused by this abrupt closureI, we would like to thank all our fans who supported these two productions, in particular US Embassy Public Affairs section for buying 100 tickets, the Spanish Embassy for buying 150 tickets, Dzikwe Trust for buying 20 tickets and to a fan who prefers anonymity for buying 100 tickets which enabled different target groups of women, civic activists, school going and college youths from High density suburbs to see "365" and participate in the inspiring post-discussions on gender based violence.

"New audiences have started coming to our theatre since we began our block tickets selling thrust and we hope to intensify this next season as we fight to keep the culture of live theatre alive. It which is our hope that we will be able to take this production to other grassroots venues in high density suburbs, colleges, schools, rural and mining centers so as to reach and entertain as we educate those who do not have the preveledge to come to our theatre because of its location in Harare," says Rooftop Promotions' Marketing & Sales Executive Tafadzwa Muzondo.

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