Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Lydia Shiferaw came to the United States at a young age. After high school, she made the big move to New York City. She received her B.F.A. in communication arts. At the same time she began modeling for fashion shows in Manhattan. She moved to France and worked as a model throughout Europe. After returning to New York, she decided to head west to pursue a career in the film industry. In the past 30 years, she has worked as an actress, costumer and costume designer.
Lydia’s aunt, Askale Amenshaewa was one of the early actresses to play on the stage at the Ethiopian National Theatre. Askale is now 92 years of age. Lydia decided to record her visit to her aunt’s home. Getachew Debalke, a fellow actor and theatre historian joined them for a great conversation. One conversation led to more introductions and a documentary project began to blossom.
Ms. Shiferaw decided it was time to take a break from Hollywood, and give back to her beloved Ethiopia. Together with Richard Newton, she is producing a documentary exploring the theatre in Ethiopia that will be an inspiration for future generations of Ethiopian thespians and a gift to all lovers of theatre.
How we will use the funding:
One fourth will be used to upgrade equipment.
Audio recording, batteries and lights
One fourth will be used for lodging and ground transportation.
Many days are spent keeping in touch and waiting for bureaucratic approval. Because of insurance and driving laws, we’ve found it best to use drivers or take taxis around Addis Ababa.
One fourth will be used for meals and artist honorariums.
When we visit artists in their homes, we cater a meal for everyone in the household. These artists never made much income when working, and they have very little retirement income. We believe it is necessary and right to provide an honorarium for the time and experiences they share with us.
One fourth will be used to cover unexpected circumstances.
If we do not reach our funding goal, the monies will still be divided in the four ways described above. If we exceed our funding goal, the extra money will be used to upgrade our production to 4K, purchase a camera gimbal for walking interviews, purchase 2 roundtrips flights to make another visit to Ethiopia and continue the documentary process. And, we’ll use any extra funding to support the subsequent parts in the documentary.
This crowdfunding will give us the resources to produce the first in a five part series. We envision the following five parts to complete our documentary: One. The Women of Ethiopian Theatre. Focusing on the first women to act in theatrical productions. Two. The roots of Ethiopian Theatre. Music and dance from the diverse ethnic groups that make up Ethiopia. Three. A survey of dramatic productions. Four. Comedy. Five. The future of Ethiopian Theatre. Looking forward to new productions and youth theatre.
We hope you will join us. We have learned that it takes a lot of patience to piece together a documentary. We are committed. We just need your help. If you are unable to provide financial assistance, please share this project with your friends and on social media. Thank you.