Get To Know Us
Created by well-known Kenyan musician and artist-activist Eric Wainaina and his wife, long-time arts producer Sheba Hirst, Rainmaker Ltd. has produced music, musical theatre and other artistic programming for close to two decades.
In November 2016, Rainmaker established The NBO Musical Theatre Initiative to offer contemporary African artists fresh, new and alternative models and techniques for creating plays with music.
Working with U.S. artists from the Sundance Institute Theatre Program and Theatre Without Borders (Founding Consulting Producer and Mentor Roberta Levitow) and the New York University Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (Mentors Fred Carl and Deborah Brevoort), the initiative has already catalyzed the creation and development of 14 Kenyan musical theatre projects.
Recognizing the opportunity for musicians and writers from the highest levels to collaborate in this art form NBO MTI provides training sessions and professional artistic feedback workshops.
By advancing the work of a high-level community of Kenyan practitioners, the initiative intends to catalyze continued development of musical theatre in Kenya, as well as in neighboring countries, with the anticipation of welcoming artists from across the continent over the coming years.
“NBO MTI has profoundly ignited my writing with conviction, information and technical know how.”
— Elsaphan Njora
What We Have Achieved.
Nov 2016
WORKSHOP “Igniting Ideas”
Mentor: Levitow, Dramaturgy
Feb 2017
Dramaturgy Remote Sessions
Mentor: Levitow, Dramaturgy
July 2017
Dramaturgy Remote Sessions
Mentor: Levitow, Dramaturgy
Nov 2017
Dramaturgy Remote Sessions
Mentor: Levitow, Dramaturgy
Feb 2018
1-WEEK OBSERVERSHIP at NYU GMTWP
Eric Wainaina
June 2018
WORKSHOP “Words & Music: A Collaboration”
Mentors: Brevoort, Book & Lyrics; Carl, Music; Chuck Cooper, Performance
Oct 2018
“TINGA TINGA TALES: THE MUSICAL”
The New Victory, NYC / Eric Wainaina, Music ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE NYU TSOA Institute of Performing Arts and NYU GMTWP;
WORKSHOP READING of Eric Wainaina’s musical “DJ Lwanda”
Nov 2018
Dramaturgical Remote Sessions
Mentors: Brevoort, Carl, Levitow
Jan 2019
WORKSHOP “What is the Music Doing?” –
Mentors: Carl, Levitow
April 2019
Dramaturgical Remote Sessions
Mentors: Brevoort, Carl, Levitow
June 2019
WORKSHOP “Towards a First Draft”
Mentors: Brevoort, Book/Lyrics; Carl, Music; Levitow, Dramaturgy
Nov 2019
REHEARSED CONCERT READINGS OF 4 PROJECTS IN PERFORMANCE:
“Pani Puri”; “Kabaseke”; “Weaver Bird”; “Gospel of Apostle Dennis” Kampala International Theatre Festival, Uganda
Mentors: Lesedi Job (South Africa) Directing & Staging; Roberta Levitow, Directing & Production
January 2020
WORKSHOP “Second Draft: Writing is Rewriting”
Mentors: Brevoort, Book/Lyrics and Dramaturgy
July/August 2020
WORKSHOP “Second Draft: Writing is Rewriting Part II”
Mentors: Brevoort, Book/Lyrics and Dramaturgy
November 2020
WORKSHOP “Second Draft: Writing is Rewriting Part III”
Mentors: Brevoort, Book/Lyrics and Dramaturgy
January 2021
WORKSHOP “The Musical Score: Interweaving Book & Music”
Mentor: Fred Carl, Lyrics and Music
March 2021
PITCHING SESSIONS “Pitching Musicals to Alternative Media Collaborators”
Mentors: Erwin Maas and Nike Jonah, Arts management
May 2021
WORKSHOP “Kicking off the Radio Play Development Process”
Mentors: Saheem Ali, and selected Radio Play Mentor
June 2021
WORKING SESSIONS “Completing the Radio Draft of Musicals”
Mentors: Saheem Ali and selected Radio Play Mentor
September 2021
WORKING SESSIONS “Recording the Radio Plays
Mentors: Saheem Ali and selected Radio Play Mentor
December 2021
VIRTUAL FEST ON THE NBO MTI PODCAST:
“NBO MTI ON AIR: 14 In-Progress Musical Theatre Works on the Radio”