Ethiopia's Fine Arts Ambassador--- Haimanot Alemu

BY LATE MELESE TILAHUM

Haimanot Alemu (centre) with artistes including Asnaketch Worku and Tesfaye Gessesse

 

The following piece is mainly an outcome of the expensive interview with this writer recently conducted with artist Haimanot Alemu. It took quite a while to pin down this often illusive person who often avoids giving interview to the media.

Haimanot Alemu was born in Addis Ababa but spent his childhood years in Holetta. On his father's farm, he was brought up loving horses, sheep and goats. He and his brothers had fun getting their morning milk right from under the cows when they were being milked.

Farming was the way of life for his dad and family that led to Haimanot’s love of the outdoors from an early age. Haimanot even tried his hand in farming and raising sheep and chicken, sort of a gentleman farmer. Today, he uses any spare time he has to drive out to the surrounding areas of Addis to enjoy the fresh air and the outdoors. He was also a boy scout in Teferi Mekonen Elementary School and eventually a Troop Leader in high school. Haimanot attributes his discipline to a lifetime of boarding school life and the Boy Scouts.

Haimanot Alemu, by nature, is a quiet sort of person who stays away from public events and is rarely seen at weddings or hotel lounges. This illusive person is probably one of Ethiopia's accomplished actors as well as its leading choreographer. As a young person, ballet and modern dance was his passion. He used to come all the way from his high school in Kotobe to the Creative Arts Center at AAU just to dance ballet and take part in plays performed in English. Nowadays, he spends his time at Astar Advertising, a global ad. Agency, working mostly on social marketing projects and doing communication-consulting work, for which he is certified by the EMI. Every once in a while, he would take a long journey to represent Ethiopia as an invited guest director, sort of Ethiopia's fine arts Ambassador, as he did recently. He came back after a three—month stay in India where he was invited to direct a Shakespeare, Play "Twelfth Night" in a place called Auroville in Tamil Nadu State in South India. He worked with actors from several countries who live in Auroville, a place of human unity and advancement. Haimanot used the unique style of the Mogul Empire of 18”‘ century India. It was an opportunity to strengthen the existing friendship between Ethiopia and India. Ethiopia was part of the over 100 countries which came together to establish Auroville as a place of peace and harmony some forty years ago. "I am honored that Auroville invited me to direct this production and work with their wonderful artists. I was proud to contribute my modest share to promote Ethiopia's image as an artistic Ambassador to a diverse people ., of India with age-old cultures of thousands of years, and was fascinated to see many similarities between our countries. India is truly an incredible place to visit.”

The last time we got a chance to see Haimanot on stage, in what he is best at, was when he was playing the title role of Uncle Vanya with such luminaries as the late singer/actress Asnaketch Worku, Tesfaye Gessesse, Getachew Debalke, Teferi Alemu and Haregeweyn Assefa. It was a show to behold, a rare treat of three generation of actors playing together. A few years before that he produced a feature film based on Sissay Negussu's novel ‘Girdosh'. It was the other memorable event that people remember well when Ethiopia's leading actors and actresses came together a couple of years ago with monologues from Tsegaye-Gabre Medhin’s plays at the National Theatre. Haimanot played a monologue from Arbegnaw Denbel which was mesmerizing, Fikadu T. Mariam did Tewodros, Abebe Balcha did Othello as well as other performers. It was a unique theatrical treat, one we probably won't see again for sometime.

From an early age, the theater always fascinated Haimanot. The first play he saw was Moliere's "The Miser". The work onstage seemed easy and enjoyable for the mind of a ten year old. That was his first experience of drama. The day was also special because the Emperor and the Queen were also there at the Teferi Mekonen School. The school was like a pet project of the Emperor and it was not unusual for him to drop in every once in a while. But to Haimanot's young mind, it was mind blowing experience. He says "that was a moment of truth when I decided to become an actor, right there and then. when the Emperor's entourage was seen off, I found myself mesmerized and was left sitting in the empty auditorium. I made up my mind that I would grow up one day to become an actor. I never changed my mind and stuck with it for the rest of my life.” It was a fascinating life that took him to the theater in Ethiopia and beyond in such countries as the US, Nigeria, Cuba, Vemen, and others.

In the early days of high school there were more opportunities to do Theater at Haile Selassie I Secondary school, referred to as 'Kotobe'. Theatre was a serious undertaking by the school director and the rest of the foreign staff. Haimanot and his friends did a lot of theater with their teachers and soon got comfortable playing in English.

In Kotobe, there was political activism by the students and debating about issues in front of the entire student body was the most favorite extra curricular activity. The heated debates would sometimes erupt into stone throwing fights. Haimanot's close friend and debate antagonist was young activist Tilahun Gizaw. Haimanot says with pride " I never lost a single debate. Tilahun hated that. I was the actor, he was the politician.” As seniors, a rebellion erupted over corruption, which led to the electric power and telephone lines being cut off by students. Eventually, the government arrested all the students and sent them to prison at the notorious Kolfe Fetno Derash Police headquarters. That was in 1965, it was the same year, by coincidence that a young man from South Africa was being trained for guerilla warfare somewhere in the camp." We young high school prisoners were taken out every morning for military drill exercises as punishment for our rebellion. Soon, me and my actor friends were perform plays for the prisoner population as well as the guards on duty.

By the time Haimanot got to the Haile Selassie University, there was no drama department. He didn't know anybody in America, the favorite destination then. Haimanot didn't know where to go in America because he did not know a single soul in the whole country. He opened a map of the U.S. and started staring at the different names of cities. New Vork, Los Angeles, Chicago, frightening names for the young 18 year old impatient to take off and to see the world. Then in the middle of the page he sees the name ’Twin Cities’. The state was Minnesota and the twins were Minneapolis and St. Paul. That was how life started in America for the courageous young Ethiopian bent on becoming an actor, maybe see Hollywood.

Haimanot did study acting and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor's Degree with Great Distinction and went on win a prestigious graduate fellowship to study for his Master of Fine Arts degree in theater arts. He went on to work as a professional actor playing roles in different theaters in Minneapolis including the Tyrone Guthrie theatre, well known for producing classical and Shakespearean plays. It was there that his passion for Shakespeare was more cultivated. Haimanot was a company member at the world famous Children's Theater of Minneapolis, a unique experience for the young Ethiopian actor as well the Cricket theater. In graduate school, he directed Tsegaye Gabre Medhin’s ”Oda Oak Oracle" which went on to represent the University at regional theater festivals.

Upon returning to Ethiopia, Haimanot went to apply for theater work at the Ethiopian National Theater. There was no vacancy. After all that work Ethiopia was not ready for him. Disappointed and surprised, Haimanot joined the PR department of Ethiopian Airlines as Associate Corporate Relations. To make a long story short, the revolution of 1974 broke out and soon Haimanot found himself back at the National Theater with Tsegaye Gabre Medhin as General Manager. The next couple of years, Haimanot found himself as Artistic Director of the National Theater. Theater had found a rebirth under Tsegaye with spectacular productions the audience had never forgotten. Haimanot directed and acted in several of these plays including "Petros at the Hour”, "Skeleton in Pages", "lnat Alem Tenu", Tewodros, as well as choreographing the first epic dance dramas. Haimanot directed and choreographed "Tiglachin” which was Ethiopia’s entry in the Black Arts Festival in Nigeria (FESTAC). Later, the play was taken to a festival in Havana, Cuba. Haimanot directed the dance and played one of the leading roles, alongside Wegayehu Negatu. Haima not and Wegayehu have always been close friends from TMS where they met as boy scouts. The friendship would last a lifetime as well as being together onstage at the National theater. Haimanot the director designed the role of "Jillu Morro" in Inat Alem Tenu. Years ago, they had played together in "Petros Yatchin Seat”.

Haimanot would probably be remembered for his portrayal of Emperor Tewodros, Arbegnaw Denbel in Inat Alem Tenu. The production featured some of the finest actors Ethiopia has ever produced. These are the likes of Wegayehu Negatu, Awlachew Dejene, Asnaketch Worku, Tesfaye Sahlu, Debebe Eshetu, Asegdetch Habte and more. All told, many agree that this production is probably his finest work in the theatre. It is considered by many that these few years under Tsegaye were probably the golden years of the theater with exceptionally high-grade productions of plays, Folklore shows that toured many countries around the world.

Haimanot’s stay in the US was not without acclaim. He won the Mary Goldwater Award for outstanding acting talent in Washington D.C. in 1988 and The Ira Aldridge Award for Shakespearean acting in Los Angeles in 1989. Haimanot was a faculty member at the El Camino College where he taught Shakespearean acting and directed "Twelfth Night” at the South Bay Conservatory for the Arts. Back in Ethiopia since 1991, he was an Asst. Professor who has taught at AAU, Rakhmanoff College and Unity University. He also had a talk show 'Fietlefit' on Ethiopian TV that presented Ethiopia's renown role models, Haddis Alemayehu, Captain Alemayehu Abebe, Getachew Mahteme Selassie, Dr. Dej. Zewde Gabre Selassie , Derartu, Hamelmal and other luminaries who discussed their works, life and experience.

Haimanot has been very active in development communication work. He has assisted many international NGOs to train their PR and communication personnel as well as reproductive heath nurses to upgrade their skills in personalized customer handling. He has also produced several documentary videos to promote their work. He also has an active life in sewing as Master of Ceremonies for different organizations throughout the years. Ever since he did a TV Telethon for the Amhara Development Association raising 32 million Birr in one day's telethon, he has gained public attention. This work in development has continued to this day helping different organizations raise funds and promote their work.

This writer asked Haimanot what he considers himself to be and how he gets time to juggle so many professions at the same time. " Primarily, I consider myself to be an actor, first and foremost. I am still that ten-year old playing with his fantasies. For different reasons Iwon‘t get into here, I am sorry I have not played many more roles for the Ethiopian public. Now we are all getting beyond out time, so a lot is lost. Second, I consider myself a teacher of the craft and a perennial learner for this a profession that will take more than one lifetime to learn. So I have decided that I am a master of all trades but a master of none. An actor can adapt and survive in many different challenging lives, learning each role as new and building these characters that flash on the stage or in front of the camera and disappear. A life of fantasy and illusion, as in child play. But you know what? I wouldn't change my decision to become an actor, ifl had to do it all over again. I guess I am an incurable azmari!"

As if all those different life roles are not enough, Haimanot has turned back to his passion for singing and playing the guitar. "The guitar came into my Life when I was a student in America and I became lonely and homesick. Music was an escape and therapy that kept me company for years and years. The late sixties and early seventies in America was an eye opener to world issues, the Vietnam war and political protests; and l was in the middle of it and still trying to get a couple of degrees while I was experiencing turmoil that rocked America then. The civil rights movement and the experience of black renaissance in Martin Luther King, Malcolm and Dylan were all shaping my thinking and memorable times. I was driven to excel and be the best that I can be for my country and people. I am a lucky person and thank God that he has given me some talent and led me to experience some ofthe most incredible times in the world where history was made, right in front of our young lives.”

The writer also asked him what he would like to turn his attention to, as he pushes middle age. “I think teaching acting will be on the top of the agenda, together with directing more plays. We have to keep the classical and experimental theater alive by producing plays in this genre every year. If time allows, I may also try some acting. It has been a while and I think there is a need now to expose the new generation to more acting by senior practitioners, sort of set the standard and give them something to learn from. It is of concern today that, because of video films, actors think they do not need to study the craft of acting. That will eventually reduce plays and films to sub-standard state and will not bring about excellence in the arts.”

(Source:http://www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/index.php/herald/art-culture/2147-ethiopia-s-fine-arts-ambassador-haimanot-alemu)