Photos: Inua Ellams' THE HALF-GOD OF RAINFALL at American Repertory Theater

See new photos and video from Inua Ellams' THE HALF-GOD OF RAINFALL at American Repertory Theater!

Born in Nigeria, Inua Ellams is a poet, playwright & performer, graphic artist & designer and founder of: The Midnight Run (an arts-filled, night-time, urban walking experience.), The Rhythm and Poetry Party (The R.A.P Party) which celebrates poetry & hip hop, and Poetry + Film / Hack (P+F/H) which celebrates Poetry and Film. Identity, Displacement & Destiny are recurring themes in his work, where he tries to mix the old with the new: traditional African oral storytelling with contemporary poetics, paint with pixel, texture with vector. A.R.T. produced his play Barber Shop Chronicles in 2019. Ellams’  books are published by Flipped Eye, Akashic, Nine Arches, Penned in the Margins, Oberon, and  Methuen.

The Half-God of Rainfall, a co-production with New York Theatre Workshop, must close at A.R.T. Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Experience a new epic fusing Greek mythology and Yoruba spirituality from award-winning playwright and poet Inua Ellams (Barber Shop Chronicles). When Demi—half Greek god, half Nigerian mortal—takes his first shot on a basketball court, the deities of the land wake up. But as Demi’s skills propel him from his village in South West Nigeria to the NBA playoffs and the London Olympics, Zeus gets jealous of his game. Adventure from half-court to Mount Olympus at The Half-God of Rainfall and see mothers, daughters, and goddesses rise up.

This production stages sexual and physical violence and contains haze, fog, flashing lights, and loud sounds. Recommended for ninth grade and up.

The A.R.T. cast features Jason Bowen as Sàngó, Kelley Curan as Hera, Mister Fitzgerald as Demi, Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Osún, Russell G. Jones as Elegba,Michael Laurence as Zeus, and Jennifer Mogbock as Modúpé.

The Half-God of Rainfall is directed by Taibi Magar (Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Macbeth In Stride; We Live in Cairo at A.R.T.). Orlando Pabotoy provides movement direction. Scenic design is by Riccardo Hernández (Jagged Little Pill and The White Card at A.R.T., among many others), costume design is by Linda Cho (Endlings at A.R.T. and NYTW), lighting design is by Stacey Derosier, sound design and music composition is by Mikaal Sulaiman, projection design is by Tal Yarden (Ocean Filibuster at A.R.T.), and Orisha Movement Consulting/Choreography is by Beatrice Capote. Ann James (Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at A.R.T.) is the intimacy director, Dawn-Elin Fraser (Waitress, Crossing, and Finding Neverland at A.R.T.) is the voice & dialect director, and Iyvon E. is the dramaturg. The stage management team includes production stage manager Caroline Englander. Casting is by Destiny Lilly CSA of The Telsey Office.

A.R.T.’s 2023/24 programming is supported by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Barton & Guestier, and Meyer Sound. 

Tickets from $35 are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/The-Half-God-of-Rainfall. Discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under age 25, Blue Star families, EBT cardholders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others. More information at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/PlanYourVisit.