SAN DIEGO. – With great local talent, Moxie Theatre in the College Area is presenting, through May 29, an impacting and revealing production called Our Lady of Kibeho, inspired by the true and incredible story that changed a small town in Rwanda forever.
The production, which has been categorized as “the most important new play of the year”, presents a Rwandan girl who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary, but things don’t go so well for this chosen one. Her schoolmates ostracize her, label her disturbed and everyone refuses to believe, until the impossible starts happening again and again.
Skepticism gives way to fear, faith, and fate, causing upheaval in the school community and beyond. The Vatican even becomes involved.
For the actors, believers or not, bringing Our Lady of Kibeho to live, for the first time on the West Coast, has been “an incredible experience”.
“It is a huge honor, specially because it deals with such a serious incident”, said actor Vimel Sephus, who plays Father Tuyishime. “Depicting the lives of those individuals is also a great experience, I have learned a lot about their culture and story.
Steve Forehlich, who plays Father Flavia, a messenger from The Vatican, said he also hopes to be doing the story justice, but his greatest hope is that people who don’t know the story of Kibeho learn from it and inspire change in their communities.
“If people walk away interested then we did our job,” he said.
Our Lady of Kibeho is under the direction of Jennifer Eve Thorn, Moxie Theatre co-founder and associate artistic director. Tickets and showtimes at www.moxiethetre.com, or by calling (858) 598-7620.