Rafaela Prifti/
“Teatri i Diasporës” – The Diaspora Theater – presented its New York premiere of Femrat e Mia (My Women) at the Soho Playhouse, Manhattan, late last night. In her opening remarks, producer Elizabeta Gace said that she and Erand Sojli, playwright, director and actor, founded Teatri i Diasporës in Boston, in July of 2024. “The Theater’s first production Burre e Grua – Mish e Thua was performed at the same Soho venue last year,” she said. Gace thanked the patrons “who have come back to show their support for the troupe’s new production featuring actors from Tirana, Vienna, Boston and New York.”
“Our Theater has established a custom of inviting an artist representative from each state or city where the performance takes place,” said she, calling on stage Andis Gjoni. On behalf of New York’s artistic community, Andis Gjoni, renowned resident set designer, congratulated “the initiative as a revival of the art of theater that is so much needed in our community”.
Sojli’s play is the story of an Albanian immigrant man and a proud Tirana native, Liri (Erand Sojli) who has to navigate the tough situation of introducing his non-Albanian bride-to-be (Kieda Budini) to his very traditional mother (Mariana Kondi). As the go-between communicator, the main character switches between Albanian and English using a lot of Tirana colloquialisms and distorted English words that produced loud laughs and amused the crowd at Soho Playhouse. Included in the comedy are also transitions in and out musical numbers (Did Tezha, Arian Kerliu, Elis Lloshi) and light dance moves (Julia, Lauren and Gabriela Gace).
“Femrat e Mia” – My Women – got a lot of laughter and applause from the New York audience last night. Tonight Teatri i Diasporës performs in Philadelphia.
Foto Autor #theatridiaspores