It’s the 1990s and in Lagos, Nigeria, the NOLLYWOOD film industry is exploding and taking the world by storm. Ayamma dreams of stardom while working at her parents’ travel agency alongside her lovable and celebrity-obsessed sister Dede. When Ayamma lands an audition for a new film by Gbenga Ezie, Nigeria’s hottest director, she comes head-to-head with Gbenga’s former leading lady, Fayola. Tensions flare just as sparks start flying between Ayamma, the aspiring ingénue, and Wale, Nollywood’s biggest heartthrob, in this hilarious new play about dreaming big.
This production is supported, in part, by The Bonnie Cashin Costume Design Fund, The Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, and by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council.
Newman Mills Theater at
THE ROBERT W. WILSON
MCC THEATER SPACE
511 W 52 ST
NY, NY 10019
Got Questions? Please contact us at (646) 506-9393 or at [email protected]
playwright
playwright
Jocelyn Bioh is a 1st generation Ghanaian-American writer/peformer from New York City. She has her B.A. in English and Theatre from The Ohio State University and MFA in Theatre-Playwriting from Columbia University School of the Arts. Jocelyn is a commissioned playwright with Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage Theatre, Williamstown Theatre and the Atlantic Theater Company and was a former Resident Playwright at Lincoln Center.
Her plays include: the multi-award winning School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play which had two celebrated runs at MCC Theater in New York City and will be produced at 11 regional theatres all over the country in 2019 and 2020. Nollywood Dreams (Upcoming: MCC Theater 2020, Kilroy’s List 2015,) as well the new musical GODDESS of which she is the book writer. As a TV writer, Jocelyn has worked on “Russian Doll” (Netflix 2019) as well as being a staff writer on Season 2 of Spike Lee’s acclaimed series “She’s Gotta Have It” (May 2019.)
As an actress, Jocelyn’s stage credits include: In The Blood (Drama Desk Nomination,) Everybody (Signature Theatre, Lucille Lortel nomination) Men on Boats (Playwrights Horizons,) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Broadway; Tony Award Winner for Best Play, 2015), An Octoroon (Soho Rep, Obie Award Winner for Best Play, 2014), Booty Candy (Wilma Theater), Seed (Classical Theater of Harlem, Audelco Award Nominee), and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet (City Theatre). She also originated the role of “Topsy” in the world premiere of Neighbors (The Public Theater, Audelco Award Nominee). TV: Former Cover Girl spokesmodel, “Russian Doll” (Netflix) “Crashing” (HBO), “Blue Bloods” (CBS), “The Detour” (TBS), “The Characters” (Netflix), “Louie” (FX), and “One Life to Live” (ABC). Film: “Ben Is Back.”
director
director
Saheem is a proud immigrant from Kenya. Recent productions include Fireflies (Atlantic Theater Company), Dangerous House (Williamstown Theater Festival), Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC), Tartuffe (Playmakers Rep), Where Storms Are Born (Williamstown), Twelfth Night (Public Theater), Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theater), Nollywood Dreams (Cherry Lane), The Booty Call (Inner Voices) and Dot (Detroit Public Theater). He has workshopped new plays at Playwrights Horizons, Playwrights Realm, MCC, New York Stage & Film, Page 73 and The Lark. He is a Usual Suspect and former Directing Fellow at New York Theater Workshop, Sir John Gielgud SDCF Fellow and a Shubert Fellow.
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