Passion for theater unites expats and locals on stage
On weekday evenings, after the offices of international NGOs and embassies have gone dark, a different kind of work begins. In makeshift rehearsal spaces—sometimes living rooms, sometimes nearby venues —a cast of expats and locals gathers to do something rare in this city: put on a play.
They are the Addis Theater Group, an ensemble of foreign nationalsdrawn together by a shared love of performance. Despite full-time day jobs, they’ve committed nights and weekends to their first full-length production—a comedy-thriller titled “Lady in Danger” by Australian playwright Max Afford.
For Pamela Otali, the group’s director and a Ugandan national who moved to Addis Ababa two years ago,this was a long time coming. “I’ve always had a passion for theater, and when I arrived here, I started looking for a creative outlet. Eventually, I decided to build one myself.”
Otali began by posting on social media, hoping to gather a few like-minded performers for informal script readings. Instead, the group opted to go big—choosing a full-scale production over table reads. “I thought a play reading would be manageable, but the response surprised me,” she said. “They wanted a full production.”
Casting soon followed. Rehearsals were scheduled around demanding workweeks, held in borrowed homes and office spaces until Alliance Ethio-Française opened its doors to the group. “It wasn’t easy,” Otali admitted. “We had to find venues close to where most people lived, just to squeeze in a few hours after work. But the dedication was incredible.
They began rehearsing in September 2024. On May 16, 2025, after eight months of preparation, Lady in Danger opened at the Alliance’s cultural hall and ran for four consecutive nights.
“It exceeded all expectations,” Otali said, beaming. “The actors were all in. The audience was responsive and enthusiastic.”
The production, set in 1940s Sydney, was as much about the performance as it was about building a new cultural space in Addis Ababa. “There’s clearly a hunger for English-language theater here,” Otali said. “So many people came up after the show asking how they could get involved.”
She acknowledged the learning curve of theater-making: “Looking back, I might have done some things differently. Securing a venue earlier would have helped us streamline the timeline. But we gained so much—especially a deeper appreciation for the talent that’s here.”
Audience members, Otali said, were quick to share their excitement. “The most honest feedback comes during the performance. You could feel it when certain characters came on stage—the energy in the room shifted. People were trying to guess who committed the murder, totally caught up in the story. Afterward, they were saying, ‘When’s the next one?’ That kind of reaction keeps us going.”
While many of the founding members are expats, Otali emphasized the crucial contributions of Ethiopian performers. “They’ll carry the spirit of this group forward, especially as others come and go. My hope is that more Ethiopians will join us.”
The success of Lady in Danger has galvanized the group. Plans are already underway for a second production, and interest is growing. “People are reaching out to join,” Otali said. “We have a bigger pool of talent now—and more confidence. Next time, we’ll be even better organized.”
Among those drawn to the Addis Theater Group’s debut was Katie Dutko, a US citizen who arrived in Ethiopia in September 2024 after a posting in Egypt. She landed a lead role in Lady in Danger, portraying the play’s central character, Monica Sefton—a newlywed with literary ambitions who finds herself at the heart of a mystery.
“I found out about it, as you often do in Addis, through a WhatsApp group,” Dutko said. “Someone shared a post about a new play in the works, and if you were interested, you could audition. That’s how I got in touch with Pamela.”
Community theater has long been a part of Dutko’s life, and she was eager to find a similar outlet in her new city. “Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve sought out theater groups. Acting is a dream of mine, so when I heard one was starting here, I jumped at the chance.”
Rehearsals spanned several months, with some cast members joining early and others catching up as the production developed. “We spent countless hours learning our lines and exploring our characters,” Dutko said. “In the final weeks, everything just clicked.”
Securing a venue had been one of the group’s biggest hurdles—until a timely partnership formed with the Alliance Ethio-Française. “We were so lucky to find them, especially so close to the show dates,” Dutko said. “The space was perfect.”
The four-night run proved more successful than anyone anticipated. “The energy was incredible,” Dutko said. “Every night, we had a full house. The audience was engaged.”
She hopes to remain in Ethiopia for several more years—and to continue acting.
A Tradition as Old as Storytelling: Tracing the Roots of Theater from Athens to Addis
From the open-air amphitheaters of ancient Greece to the black-box stages of the modern era, theater has long served as a mirror to society—its stories, struggles, and dreams. Across centuries and civilizations, the stage has remained a vital forum for artistic expression and communal reflection.
The earliest known plays were performed in 5th century B.C. Greece, where a single actor—known as the protagonist—was accompanied by a chorus that narrated and commented on the unfolding drama. Innovation came quickly: the renowned playwright Aeschylus introduced a second speaking role, the antagonist, and reduced the chorus from 50 to 12 members, heightening dramatic tension. His play The Persians, first staged in 472 B.C., is considered the oldest surviving work of Western theater.
Ethiopia’s theatrical journey began more than two millennia later, in the 1920s, during a time of cultural awakening in the capital. According to Aboneh Ashagrie, Associate Professor at Addis Ababa University, writing in African Theatre, one of the earliest milestones was set by Tekle Hawariat Teklemariam—an Ethiopian diplomat and intellectual who studied abroad.
Aboneh recounts that Heruy Wolde Selassie, then mayor of Addis Ababa, invited Tekle Hawariat to a local “theatre” performance at the Terrace Hotel, now known as the Mega Arts Center. The audience that night included members of the royal family and nobility. But the show fell short of expectations.
Disappointed by what he viewed as a lack of structure, staging, and dramatic coherence, Tekle Hawariat resolved to introduce formal drama to Ethiopia—setting in motion the country’s modern theatrical tradition.
Nearly a century later, echoes of that ambition continue to shape Addis Ababa’s cultural landscape.
At the Alliance Ethio-Française, one of the city’s most established cultural institutions, the Addis Theater Group found both a stage and a supporter.Rahel Daniel, Director of Arts and Culture at the Alliance Éthio-Française, who helped host the production, remembers how the partnership came to life.
“When I heard about a theater group rehearsing after work hours, I was immediately interested,” Rahel said. “They weren’t professionals. They had day jobs, families. But they gave their time purely out of love for the art.”
The Alliance offered both rehearsal and performance space just as the group was struggling to find a venue. “The timing couldn’t have been better,” she said.
Despite the lack of formal funding, the production drew impressive numbers. “We had 479 people attend across the four nights,” Rahel said. “That’s remarkable for a debut play staged entirely by volunteers.”
She recalled how audience members lingered after the shows, asking when the next performance would be. “We ended up printing playbills with their contact details—email, Instagram—so people could stay connected or even join the group. We also had a donation box to help cover costs.”
For Rahel and the Alliance, the success of Lady in Danger has made one thing clear: English-language theater has a home in Addis Ababa. “I told them we’re here when they’re ready for their next production,” she said. “They probably need a bit of rest first—but the stage is waiting.”
For now, the group is savoring a rare achievement: staging live English-language theater in a city where such productions are few and far between.
