Engaging with African Theatre

What is African theatre today? Bob Vorlicky and Judy Miller have some answers to that question through their work as editors and translators of contemporary African plays. Vorlicky brings to light the otherwise neglected work of eight African women playwrights from seven different countries and linguistic spheres. He explores the politics of translating indigenous languages into English. Miller surveys exemplary works of Francophone African authors from the immediate post-colonial period to the present. She also addresses the difficulties of translating these works for the American stage. Speakers

• Robert H. Vorlicky, Author, “Speaking Our Selves: New Plays by African Women” (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2025); Professor of Theatre, NYUAD and Tisch School of the Arts, NYU
• Judith G. Miller, Author, “Contemporary Francophone African Plays: An Anthology” (Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 2024); Former Dean of Arts and Humanities, NYUAD; Professor of French Literature, NYU

In conversation with

• Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, Playwright; NYUAD alumnus