'Congo' Actor Ezra Mabengeza Channels Freedom Fighter Patrice Lumumba
That conversation really impacted me. And the last thing she told me was to remember who I was playing and consider the legacy of this man. As a performer myself, understanding the context of this play, I certainly wanted to make sure that I did that. I didn't want to really play myself. As an African, you know that we are very spiritual. This is a man's family. He comes from a certain tribe, a certain people. And I can't just go in there and think it's me. I said a prayer to his family to thank them for this opportunity and ask for their guidance in terms of portraying their representative, their father, their brother, their cousin. I asked God to help me to be this person with integrity and dignity, and to also maintain the strength and the power and the unshakable confidence that he had in what we could do as a people.
http://www.bvnewswire.com/2010/10/06/congo-actor-ezra-mabengeza-interview-patrice-lu/
That conversation really impacted me. And the last thing she told me was to remember who I was playing and consider the legacy of this man. As a performer myself, understanding the context of this play, I certainly wanted to make sure that I did that. I didn't want to really play myself. As an African, you know that we are very spiritual. This is a man's family. He comes from a certain tribe, a certain people. And I can't just go in there and think it's me. I said a prayer to his family to thank them for this opportunity and ask for their guidance in terms of portraying their representative, their father, their brother, their cousin. I asked God to help me to be this person with integrity and dignity, and to also maintain the strength and the power and the unshakable confidence that he had in what we could do as a people.
http://www.bvnewswire.com/2010/10/06/congo-actor-ezra-mabengeza-interview-patrice-lu/