Cécé Haba & Lua Shayenne from ‘Yassama and the Beaded Calabash’, Photo by Dahlia Katz
Presented by Harbourfront Centre as part of their JUNIOR festival, Yassama And The Beaded Calabash is a short piece of interactive theatre designed for very young children. With a large section of the floor in front of the stage lined with spongey tiles, children can be active near the performers—Lua Shayenne and Cécé Haba (musician)—as they use African instruments and simple dance moves to invite the kids to help tell the story of a young girl who befriends a baobab tree and helps save her village from drought.
The story itself contains some messaging about respecting the earth and not being wasteful, though it is mostly a frame on which to hang the movement and sounds. The moral of the story may not stick, but experience of the performers vibrant African outfits, the picturesque mural of a savanna and joining in on some movements and vocal responses.
The glimpse at village life and Yassama’s family is a highlight of the performance. Her father, mother, and brother each have distinct personalities conveyed in quirky and amusing gestures and vocalizations. The giddy and affable father in particular is quite memorable with his crouched, belly-out stance and wiggly little dance.
After the story segment has concluded, Shayenne and Haba explain the construction, playing technique and unique sound of each instrument—djembe, balafon, cowbell and rainstick—and how they figured into the story.
Shayenne has a grounded, engaging and friendly demeanour. Haba, who mostly stays at the back at a small table with the instruments, seems at first to be very serious. As the performance unfolds, a playful streak is revealed here and there. The two have a understated dynamic that works well for the short run time and gently interactive vibes.