Nigerian Women Speak Out

HEAR WORD! portrays the lives of Nigerian women.

From The January-February 2018 Issue

Photograph courtesy of the ART

HEAR WORD! Naija Woman Talk True, directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa (a current Radcliffe Institute fellow), is a dynamic performance piece inspired by a spectrum of true stories about women across Nigeria. Nigerian actresses combine dances, songs, and spoken word in intimate portrayals of struggles—for dignity, independence, and professional/meaningful engagement in African society. Themes both personal and universal are candidly broached in an effort to break through a culture of silence. The production, hugely popular in Lagos, had its American premiere at the Harvard Dance Center in 2016, and returns for a two-week run at the American Repertory Theater. Fafunwa also discusses “Who Would Choose to Be LGBT and Nigerian!?” at the institute’s Knafel Center on February 7.

Published in the print edition of the January-February 2018 issue, in the Harvard Squared section, under the headline, “Nigerian Women Speak Out ”.