Witness Uganda

Musical (2014)
by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews

With Griffin Matthews (Griffin), Michael Luwoye (Jacob), Adeola Role (Joy), Emma Hunton (Ryan), Nicolette Robinson (Eden), Kristolyn Lloyd (Grace), Jamar Williams (Ibrahim), Tyrone Davis, Jr. (Ronny); Ensemble: Melody Betts, Rodrick Covington, Kevin Curtis, Latrisa Harper, Aisha Jackson, Jamard Richardson

Not only is this musical electrifyingly entertaining, witty and inspiring, it is also a semiologist’s dream.

The two authors of this innovative piece, Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews, had been embarking on a project of some sort to promote their nonprofit, UgandaProject, dedicated to the education of ten Ugandan students, but were not necessarily thinking of writing a musical. When, however, some preliminary material came to the attention of Stephen Schwartz, the composer of numerous Broadway blockbusters, he encouraged them to form it into a narrative and produce it as a musical.

The result is not only a great piece of theatre, but it is also, magnificently, related to a real social project.

The genius of the piece derives from the straightforward way it brings many of the actual issues and situations into the story and fuses them into a dramatic blend.

Griffin Matthews actually stars as Griffin, an actor who does – well – much the same kind of thing re Uganda that the actual Griffin Matthews apparently did. His friend, Ray (Emma Hunton) is a singer bent on a career in pop music who faces all the expected challenges but stands behind Griffin at every turn. Whether and how these two characters get to realize their artistic and humanitarian dreams, and how those interlace, forms a central part of the story.

The rest of the story involves the Ugandans they encounter, the circumstances of their lives, and the emotional complexities involved in the interactions with them. How these indigenous people receive all the foreigners who come to help, but who then, returning to their own countries, basically disappear, shapes the drama. The lives of these people – most of them children – their material and emotional challenges, are beautifully framed here, and the drama which eventually surfaces is really about commitment and trust.

The story is not itself complex, but somehow the way it gets told and the way it is evoked through music and dance, makes it feel more satisfyingly complex than it is. The narrative turns seem to be natural rather than manufactured, and when complications arise they seem to be part of the fabric of the enterprise.

The energy of this production is infectious. The choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie is so good that it electrifies the stage. The music, directed authoritatively and with gusto by composer Matt Gould, often feels authentically African, but manages, somehow, with deft turns, to come out with enough of the texture of a musical to make it work well in that medium.

The set by Tom Pye is simple and ingenious, rising up subtly when needed to convey the sense of a hilltop. The projections by Peter Nigrini are conceived and executed beautifully, sometimes rendering realistic landscapes or architectural backgrounds, sometimes delivering informational supplements.

Also about Americans going to Uganda, the Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon has, justifiably, been a great hit. It has a brilliant book and a wonderful score, and somehow its fairly wacky premise has a good deal of narrative wisdom to it.

Witness Uganda has all the great African energy that comes out in The Book of Mormon, but its narrative has a kind of secular vulnerability which is quite different from the ironic tone that hovers on the edge of satire in The Book of Mormon. And that the two creators of Witness Uganda, Gould and Matthews, have not only created a work of art here, but have done so in the spirit of supporting their actual work in Uganda, is quite a different turn.

In both cases, there is a lot of great African-inspired music, though in Witness Uganda it prevails so consistently that one has to regard it as dominant while in The Book of Mormon it is more of an intermittent embellishment.

Griffin Matthews is stupendous, out of this world, as, well, some theatrical variant of himself. He has an earnest and relaxed presence onstage and a lovely voice.

A significant part of the narrative involves the fact that Griffin is gay. His friendship with Ryan is comradely and it is beautifully conceived. How all of this relates to the prevailing views in Uganda forms a backdrop and the issue is treated thoughtfully and sensitively. Contrasted with the machinations of an unseen corrupt missionary, this authentically-stated reaching for open and honest acceptance of homosexuality makes for a charged and moving undercurrent.

Director Diane Paulus has done a great job of realizing the strong drama in this piece without making it sappy or maudlin. There is a straightforwardness to the telling of the story that is lucid and refreshing.

The rest of the cast is excellent.

Emma Hunton does a wonderful job as Ryan, exhibiting all the enthusiasm and disappointment about her musical career with gusto, and bringing the same degree of energy to her comradeship with Griffin.

As Jacob, Michael Luwoye, exhibits a kind of pathetic sweetness which suits the role perfectly.

Adeola Role, as Joy, the provisional older assistant at the outpost, maintains a prevailing severity that comes to fruition and matures appropriately when the time comes. She gives good weight and ballast to scenes that might otherwise fly off the stage.

As the various kids in the complex – Nicolette Robinson (Eden), Kristolyn Lloyd (Grace), Jamar Williams (Ibrahim) and Tyrone Davis, Jr. (Ronny) – are a robust and energetic crew, and they, along with the wonderful ensemble, provide so much kinetic pizzazz the show really rocks.

This is the second great show about Africa I have seen in Boston within a month. Company One’s We Are Proud To Present A Presentation…, produced through ArtsEmerson, though quite different in tone, scale and intent, was also stirring, and beautifully conceived and executed.

Witness Uganda is a great production, a real credit to the authors, and to Diane Paulus and to the American Repertory Theatre for giving it their support and bringing it to such vivid realization.

– BADMan