Dorcy Rugamba's 'HEWA RWANDA - LETTER TO THE ABSENT'

Thirty years after the genocide in Rwanda, actor, author and director Dorcy Rugamba brings to life his work Hewa Rwanda – Letter to the Absent, a profoundly moving tale of his family, culture and spirituality - a love letter to those who are no longer here, and a hymn to the living.

HEWA RWANDA, Finalist for 2024 Prix Renaudot, has been presented in French at prestigious festivals worldwide. This will be Rugamba's first presentation of the English text, translated for its English language premiere at the in March 2025.

There are two, intimate work-in-progress readings on Saturday, January 18 at 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM. The readings are approximately 60 minutes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dorcy Rugamba is a Rwandan author, actor, dancer, and stage director. First prize in dramatic art from the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Liège, he was first introduced to the performing arts by his father Cyprien Rugamba: writer, choreographer, composer and museum curator.

Based between Brussels and Kigali, Dorcy co-authored Rwanda 94, presented in 1999 at the Festival d'Avignon. In 2005, he directed The Investigation, a play by Peter Weiss based on the trial of the Auschwitz perpetrators. Dorcy is the author of the play Bloody Niggers, the choreographic show Planet Kigali and the opera Umurinzi, which he created for the official ceremony of the 25th commemoration of the Tutsi genocide.

In 2020, he created , a show on the African heritage of European museums; the plastic and performative versions were created for the Dakar Biennale in 2022. In October 2020, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, he collaborated with Abderrahmane Sissako to stage the opera Le Vol Du Boli, with music by Damon Albarn. Dorcy founded to develop and professionalize arts in Rwanda. In February 2024, as Artistic Director, Dorcy launched the first edition of the , an extraordinary convergence of artists working in eleven disciplines from the Continent and around the globe.

PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

Mechanics’ Hall is located at 519 Congress Street. Our main entrance is between Loquat Shop and the Art Mart. The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by .

Parking is available at the , which has entrances on Casco and Brown Street, with a rate of $5 per hour. Metered street parking is available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and other nearby streets. Free hourly street parking is available between Parris and Alder Street.

ACCESSIBILITY

To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step. There is a wheelchair-accessible elevator and a ramp available upon request.

If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions please contact us at or 207-773-8396.

Host or Publisher Mechanics' Hall (Maine)