Written and Directed byMbongeni Ngema
SARAFINA was written and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, (Woza Afrika!) He collaborated with South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela on the lively score that fused South African music, jazz, and American pop. SARAFINA tells of a group of Soweto high school students who put on a play about Nelson Mandela. The routine of school life plays out against the threat of local violence and ultimately culminates in a joyous day of Independence. The Newhouse production moved to Broadway for an extended run with the 24 actors, ages 16 to 25, who had all appeared in the premiere in Johannesburg earlier in 1987.
