theatre of the absurd preforms the cursetomary
The faculty of law theatre of the absurd showcased a mind-blowing play ‘The Cursetomary based on the SM Otieno case 1986.
Mr. Silas Brian Owiti a fourth year student at the Faculty of Law talks more on what it took to produce the cursetomary
How long did it take to produce the Cursetomary
It took 3 months to produce the Cursetomary since it was set to perform for the national festivals in Meru late October but due to unavoidable circumstances we couldn't travel so we decided to take it up a notch and show the whole world what we do and what we could have done in Meru.
What inspired this play?
While I was a first year in the Faculty of Law. That was the first and most interesting case in the unit Social Foundations of Law taught by my lecturers Hon.Nancy Baraza and Dr.Kariuki Muigua. The story of SM Otieno was a phenomenal one and once I asked my parents the story. I realized it was something deeper than what we even learnt in school. I decided to take the millennials back to the past and also tell us the younger generation this story.
How did you decide/come up with the name the Cursetomary
The word Cursetomary is a word play and since we were talking about Customs and Customary law. The play signifies the struggles of the widows showing the curse that married people face with the customs. From the women in the society those days, it surely was a curse to marry
What should we expect next?
As Theatre of the Absurd, we've been doing real stories from the past and debatable stories that upraise public interest and inspire the community to greatness and better decisions. So it will be a Kenyan story. The pioneers of Theatre of the Absurd did this as their last production. So the new administration is taking over slowly and they'll surely give you a dose from their own medicine.
What is the key message that you wanted the audience to take away from this play?
The ethnic differences we've had as communities didn't start today; they had a source and surely, the SM Otieno Case 1986 was part of the culture shock and source? Since ethnicity is a political matter, we also brought political satire throughout the whole play a political tensions continue rising. The main message through the whole play is that we should continue being united as Kenyans because we have one culture and that is to be a Kenyan and that some cultures should be extinct as per now and others appreciated in their own way.
Any takeaway/parting shot
For sure, the pioneers of Theatre of the Absurd have finished with a bang and I would first like to thank Elvis Mambo, Pauline Okoth ,Glenn Innocent and Sandra Wanjiku for making continuity of Theatre of the Absurd a reality since its inception. The Director Marotso Mukwambo for believing in the script, making it better and doing justice with it. Our former Dean Faculty of Law Prof Kiarie Mwaura was a supporting pillar and a father to us and we upload him for that. As the next team comes in led by Virginia Waringa, Lorna Makena and Michael Mburu, we know that the journey to the mountain has bumps but you shall get there. The cast of 'The Cursetomary’, you were all phenomenal and I would call them, my superstars and my best cast so far. My best character was Omondi played by Yelsin and the most inspirational character was Wambui ' Virginia Edith Wambui Otieno' played by Pauline Makena; she even cried on stage. The Cursetomary will forever live in people's hearts.
