Young actors from Boston Arts Academy pour heart and soul into fifth play of ‘Ufot Family Cycle’

Celina Colby

Celina Colby is an arts and travel reporter with a fondness for Russian novels.... VIEW BIO

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Since fall 2024, theaters around Boston have been hosting the nine-play Ufot Family Cycle by playwright Mfoniso Udofia. The fifth installment, “Kufre n’ Quay,” is performed almost entirely by Black and brown Boston Arts Academy students, many appearing in a professional production for the first time.

“Kufre n’ Quay” follows a young African boy named Kufre (played by 11-year-old Levi Mngonezulu) as he immigrates to New York and becomes part of a community center. There he befriends Quay, an African American girl, and the two begin to learn the similarities and differences across their two cultures.

Playwright Mfoniso Udofia PHOTO: Annielly Camargo

“My character is coming from Nigeria with a lot of expectations on what America will be like,” said Mngonezulu. “When he goes to America, it’s nothing like what he thought. It’s nothing like what he read about. It’s a really big shock for him and now he’s just trying to fit into this new world.”

Mngonezulu is the youngest actor in the production and it’s his first role in a professional show. He says he can relate to Kufre in terms of having big expectations and dealing with unexpected challenges.

The Ufot Family Cycle is a series of nine plays following three generations of a Nigerian American family. It’s a massive story that has taken more than 35 partners in the Greater Boston theater scene to pull off, guided by The Huntington.

Levi Mngomezulu plays Kufre in the play. PHOTO: Annielly Camargo

This installment of the cycle intersects with the others; Kufre is the son of Iniabiasi and grandson of Abasiama, two characters in previous productions. But it’s a fresh take on the immigrant perspective and an introduction to the youngest generation of the family.

“This [play] has me over the moon, precisely because of the youth involved. Their hearts, their presence, their power,” said Udofia. “All Black and brown youth, stepping into their first professional production. They are bold. Ready. Present. And deeply committed. I am floored by what they are building.”

Cast members Ezra Schwartz-Bart and Zay Williams PHOTO: Annielly Camargo

“Kufre n’ Quay” runs July 10-26 at Boston Arts Academy Main Stage, 174 Ipswich St. in The Fenway neighborhood. The show is produced through a partnership between Boston Arts Academy, Wheelock Family Theatre and The Huntington.

For director John Oluwole ADEkoje, a Nigerian filmmaker and actor who teaches film at Boston Arts Academy, it’s a joy to work with students on this complex and moving production. He says that additionally, immigrant stories feel increasingly urgent to tell.

“We are in the place where we are beginning to label immigrants,” said ADEkoje. “It’s important to know everybody’s story, which forces us to respect each other, which forces us to understand each other.”