Matthew Kunkel
BFA ’17, Theatre & Drama
“We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915,” will be the senior thesis assignment for Matt Kunkel as he prepares to graduate the University of Michigan’s Department of Theatre and Drama. The project will be a full scale production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2012 piece, “We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915,” which is about 6 actors coming together to tell the largely forgotten Herero and Namaqua genocide which took place in Namibia between 1904 and 1907 when the region was a German colony, after Germany confiscated tribal lands and the Herero people rebelled. The retribution over four years by German soldiers resulted in more than 65,000 deaths. The play deals with the enormity of this story by introducing it through the actors of a “presentation” which is intended to tell the story, and shows how the various players respond to the gruesome facts during first rehearsal. This will be a full scale production utilizing a full team of student designers and performers across various disciplines at the University of Michigan to present this very relevant and topical piece.
Library Mentor: Loyd Mbabu