When a group of women come together in one room…
Oh no, nothing like that i know what you thinking now!
Women can come together amazingly actually, women with similar interests, similar desires, similar achievements or slightly different goals and dreams. Some women are greater than the other yet we need each other to lean on and bounce off ideas and borrow an ear to listen, more especially if you have a critical ear.That is a great.
It is not about who is who, what is what, who is better than the other, it is far from that. Believe me, I was there. WPIC 2015
I have met incredible women indeed, in this conference, women who just wanted me to write whatever that I think off, women who cheered me on,to sit on my butt forget who; what says what. Women who could not speak english but yearned to know who I am, they have given me a place to allow my self to be me, to ask, I felt safe and I felt normal as a young emerging playwright.
One lady that has given me her warmest smile and intelligence is Mumbi Kaigwa, from Nairobi a hard working thespian, who is a mother and a fellow artist…oh what a great talent, I ‘m not putting her in high pedestal, she deserves to be there, she is kind, sweet, approachable, talented actress,director.
A person of calibre gave me an her time,she humbled herself and we spoke, she listened and she asked I answered. She had a very smart comic timing, I must say.I will not forget the conversation we had.
No it was not about playwrighting.
It was about how she does not know why she she never gave up to be an artist.
Confession time! I googled Mumbi like a crazy stalker, well I was advised to do that and it worked perfectly because three weeks later there she was with her glasses smiling I was star struck! I could not move a muscle. I was frozen in time my questions were cemented somewhere around my head, I did not want to waste her time.
So many people knew her, and I appeared as one of those people who called her by her name. I suppose she was shocked: Who is this young looking lady calling my name ,as if we were old buddies from high school. If you know me… you know how shy I am. Well! Mumbi and I exchange words, contacts, and we even shared a tear drop, well that was entirely my fault I was to emotional from expressing my desire to learn and know her. Theatre Faces
I love women who are better than me,greater than me, because I believe in order for me to grow I must meet women like Mumbi and Ava-Gail. I sat in a reading of ” The end of the line.” I listened and I was moved, I related to the story . I immediately thought I would love to direct this play. I called my husband told him about the script I was listening into and he excitedly, positively advise me to find out more about the script and today I’am in the process of reading the script I do not know what is going to come out, out of it but I do know it is a beautiful piece of writing.
Ava-gail Gardiner is a smart,stylish Jamaican beauty. We ended up hanging out for longer than i thought, which was great ,she visited Durban, we had a good time.
With this conference I don’t know about other people how they felt or how effective it was. However I do know me, and believe me when I type this writing is a lonely village but now it is not going to be like that. I have seen, I’ve been moved and utterly blessed to have been granted an opportunity to be amongst the great.
I am not shy to say, I write. And I have a body of intelligent women to horn, critique, and challenge my writing.