PLAY WANA SOUND LOUD: STEREO LOVE [review]

Story by MOLLY SULLIVAN I Photography by SELORMJAY

Seth (James Brown) unsuccessfully attempts to charm Jane (Bridget Cudjoe)

I had the privilege of seeing Accra Theatre Workshop [ATW] in action, debuting their most recent piece, Stereo Love, a new play directed by Elisabeth Sutherland [ATW Founder] and written by Emmanuel Deegbe.

Emmanuel Deegbe (playwright) giving a  post-show talk

Stereo Love, an appropriately timed romantic comedy, takes place on Valentine’s Day and follows a day in the life of best friends Seth (James Brown) and Francis (Benjamin Appiah). The two run an online-radio station from the living room of Jane (Seth’s girlfriend) and are in the midst of their Valentine’s Day special when Seth discovers he has somehow offended Jane (Bridget Cudjoe). Seth is then given the task of figuring out what he has done by the end of the day, a situation only complicated by the arrival of Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Bernard (Jamal Shaibu). What ensues is a series of comedic missteps for Seth as he tries to finish his broadcast, fight off Bernard, and ultimately salvage his relationship with Jane.

The ACCRA Theatre WorkSHOP: African x Avant-Garde

Story by TAYLOR EDELHART | Photography by SELORM JAY

Elisabeth Sutherland is trying to figure out how uncomfortable to make her next piece.

“There’s going to be a giant caterpillar and a giant tree monster,” she says with a smile, referring to the large-scale puppets, a trademark of hers, that she’s planning on incorporating into the piece. “I’m going to ask the people who audition for it to evolve from a single-celled organism, and if they can’t do that, if they can’t get down on the ground and improvise, they can’t be in the show.”