The Abesha Conspiracy follows the story of Joseph and his Ethiopian wife Sosena as they journey to her homeland. It is a journey of the soul that connects a husband to a wife, parent to their child, and an individual to their culture. Based on the playwright’s perceptual experiences on a post nuptial pilgrimage to Ethiopia. The Abesha Conspiracy is a layered exploration of the emotional and cultural conflicts that exist between continental Africans and the Diaspora. It is an invasive, sometimes satirical, exploration of a collective unconscious, it is a fearless examination of self, the vaunted “African Mythos”, and the realities of contemporary African and African American society.
Playwright: Shepsu Aakhu
World Premiere: 1999 , Originally produced by MPAACT, Chicago Illinois.
Setting: America (Chicago/Mississippi) & Addis Abba, Ethiopia, Various settings minimally suggested: Airport terminal, house, garden, bedroom.
Time: 1980-1999
A full length drama (2 acts)
3M/3F Some roles are doubled
Production has choreographic elements
Two languages are utilized English(90%) & Amharic (10%)
Production contains media elements (Sound, video and/or slide)
Slide elements available
Sound media available
Language tapes available
$12/script
$75/performance