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The Convert
It's 1896 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Jekesai, a young Shona girl, escapes a forced arranged marriage by converting to Christianity and becoming a protégé to an African Evangelical. As anti-colonial sentiments spread throughout the native population, Jekesai is forced to choose between her family's traditions and her newfound faith.
This Student Edition of Danai Gurira's 2012 play The Convert includes a commentary by Aviva Neff.
This Student Edition of Danai Gurira's 2012 play The Convert includes a commentary by Aviva Neff.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2024
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 10, 2026
Danai Gurira's plays takes places during a very bloody and violent time in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Set in the late 1890s the play centres on a young woman who escapes a forced marriage and becomes the protégé of catechist of the Catholic church. We see her navigate this world while also we are introduced do a host of fascinating characters and a story of Zimbabwe which is rarely told.
Firsty the premise of the play is incredible and I enjoyed such a powerful setting for the play which an interesting story; mostly about traditional belief colliding with Christian beliefs. The characters were also well fleshed out and it was wonderful to witness their journey throughout the whole play. The plot took a very interesting turn as I read it and I found myself shocked at the end of the play. One thing that came as such a surprise to me was the amount of humour in the play, it is so funny and as a Zimbabwean reading it I was so appreciative of how relatable and honest it was to speech. I wish we had more of these stories in the world.
I recommend this for people who love plays about Africa and specifically historical fiction. I wouldn't mind directing this one day too!
Firsty the premise of the play is incredible and I enjoyed such a powerful setting for the play which an interesting story; mostly about traditional belief colliding with Christian beliefs. The characters were also well fleshed out and it was wonderful to witness their journey throughout the whole play. The plot took a very interesting turn as I read it and I found myself shocked at the end of the play. One thing that came as such a surprise to me was the amount of humour in the play, it is so funny and as a Zimbabwean reading it I was so appreciative of how relatable and honest it was to speech. I wish we had more of these stories in the world.
I recommend this for people who love plays about Africa and specifically historical fiction. I wouldn't mind directing this one day too!
Displaying 1 of 1 review