University of Michigan-Flint

(Dept. of Africana Studies, UM-Flint)

Artistic Director: Carolyn Nur Wistrand

The Africana Performance Troupe, housed in the Dept. of Africana Studies, UM-Flint, is a performance troupe fostering the diverse creative talents of UM-Flint students that focuses on the African Diaspora through plays that add dimension to the understanding of African, Caribbean, and African American culture.  Since 2002, The Africana Performance Troupe has produced the following free public performances:

• Don’t You Want To Be Free? By Langston Hughes
• Once Upon 4 Robbers by Femi Osofisan
• Woman At Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
• Trials of Brother Jero by Wole Soyinka
• I Will Marry When I Want by Ngugi Wa’Thiong’O
• Reflections on a Free Woman of Color - A collaborative drama written by UM-Flint students in AFA 310
• The Insurrection of 1822 by Carolyn Nur Wistrand
• Sirens Knuckles & Boots: Protest in Poetry by Dennis Brutus

Mission Statement of the Africana Performance Troupe
A primary mission of this Troupe is to have a direct affect on the quality of life for African American and African students on our campus and the community at large.  Creative expression through oral storytelling, dance, drama, and music is an integral part of the life of all African and African American students, regardless of their professional career goals. The Troupe encourages and supports the legitimate creative expression of all students. The community performances have served as a vehicle to expose African and African American theatre to this campus and community.

Fostering Cultural Diversity
The Africana Performance Troupe welcomes students of all ethnic and racial backgrounds that have an interest in creative expression through dramatic performance. Through their active participation in productions, the Troupe provides an outlet for all students to gain confidence and promote a creative environment within our department that welcomes all current students and transfer students.

Impact of the Africana Performance Troupe
The Africana Performance Troupe supports activities that help maintain quality educational programs which foster diversity on our campus.  Our collaborations with other departments has been strengthened by offering Nursing, English, History, Foreign Language, Philosophy, Sociology, and Economics majors performances which incorporate themes and aesthetics that explore global issues. We have received excellent feedback from faculty and students throughout CAS who have attended our performances and welcome all UM-Flint students to participate.

The Africana Performance Troupe offers the campus and community with honest, vital, interesting, exciting, moving, and colorful theatre, reflecting the historic reality peoples of African descent. The group involves many students and community members who have never had the opportunity to experience or participate in theater arts. By celebrating the presence of people of color throughout the year on the UM-Flint campus, the Troupe sends a powerful message into the community, namely, that cultural pluralism and artistic diversity is honored and present on the UM-Flint campus.