Sunjata Kamalenya

Audience members are encouraged to participate in the production that chronicles the struggles of a boy destined to be the leader of the Mande’ people of West Africa. This is based on the story of the Lion King. Both parents and children can participate in the show.

Traditional music, costumes, and scenery whisk you away to a village compound where the storyteller guides you to 13th century Mali. Audiences have a unique experience that celebrates the spirit of determination and the love of family in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

This play was developed as a staged workshop performance at the McCarter Theatre Center, as part of the 2010 McCarter Lab. It was then introduced at the Kennedy Center during New Visions, New Voices.