Photosynthesis
Current and Upcoming
On January 12, 2024, Photosynthesis received it’s first staged reading at Goodspeed's 2024 Festival of New Musicals. Director Christopher D. Betts and Music Director Christie Chiles Twillie workshopped the show for 10 days with a talented cast of artists from The Hartt School and West Conn. 💐
Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako returns to Seattle to direct Zora Howard’s groundbreaking play STEW at ACT Contemporary Theatre, March 15-31, 2024. 🥘
About the Play and Playwright
Photosynthesis follows Nika Tambwani, a gifted floral artist running a wildly successful flower shop in Seattle’s Central District. Privately, Nika is struggling under the pressure to maintain the facade of "thriving" as a Black female entrepreneur, delivering joy to other people while she can't seem to hold onto any for herself. When her car breaks down, she trades her pruning shears for socket wrenches, in hopes of a change in perspective. If her mind is plagued by ugly thoughts while touching beautiful flowers all day, could touching rust, grease, and grime make way for beautiful thoughts? Nika must learn to process the light being offered by her community and transform it into new energy, or become entirely consumed by darkness.
Simply ecstatic outside Village Theatre in advance of the first table read of Photosynthesis. (October 2022)
Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako is a Seattle-based artist and the writer and composer of the musicals Photosynthesis and Fabletown. Earning the NWxNW grant through 5th Avenue & Village Theatre supported the creation of Photosynthesis. Nako continued development during a residency at the 2023 Johnny Mercer Foundation Writer’s Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, and Goodspeed’s 2024 Festival of New Musicals.
