An actor off stage

STEPHEN TUMUSIIME meets Jean Paul Uwayezu, the star of The Monument Recently, Isoko, an NGO that aims at promoting the Rwanda actors and artists, launched a play that swept Kigali with excitement. ‘The Monument’, a play of only two characters, was faced with the challenge of proving to its audience that a play does not need a thousand actors. Jean-Paul Uwayezu, one of the two actors, did just that. Uwayezu was born in Rusizi, Cyangugu, Western province. “I was born to Nyabyenda Chrysostome,” he says. He was raised by her sister Esperance Nyirandayishimye. “My mother died in 1992,” he says sadly. He went to Nyanza Secondary school and after senior six, joined Kigali Independent University (ULK) in 2004. Uwayezu has completed a degree in management and awaits graduation. The young star is not new in the field of entertainment. He joined Never Again, an association that fights genocide ideology and helps the reconciliation process in the country. Uwayezu acted in ‘The Question Mark’ a play organised by Never Again and staged in most parts of the country. He says after being identified as a potential actor, he was called to try out for ‘The Monument’. “‘The Monument’ is an icon to me that shows I can do better. I never knew I could do what I do in the play,” he says. “People don’t get up and perform in a play the next morning. You have to have a lot of training to be convincing.” Uwayezu now has high hopes to join the film industry that is growing here in Rwanda. “There is a lot that is happening in Rwanda concerning artists. My hope is that I am soon joining the film industry to develop my talent the more,” says Uwayezu. There is another play in pipeline that will start next year as The Monument project ends at the end of this year. He hopes by then, the play will have reached many parts of the country. He is still a member of Never Again and hopes to help his country that has suffered so much. Ends