I met Juwon working on the final production of my senior year of college. It was a new work that he composed all the music for, about a young Nigerian man in search of his own path to success while defying his traditional family. I played the man; Juwon played the piano.
Juwon is direct and certain. He makes you feel as if you don’t know what you’re talking about until he starts to smile and nod, letting you know that you were the only one who ever had any doubt. I have no idea how old he is; his dark, luminous skin hid any age lines. With a shaved head and an affinity for vibrant colors, any sign of age was erased and replaced with musical skill. He sang and played the piano with such passion that it inspired those words that make anyone attempting an art fears trembles at: practice makes perfect. He is a stickler for perfection and is not afraid to tell you that you got it wrong, please fix it.
I felt he was confused by me – how I could do well and then hit a wall before doing well again. I was certainly intimidated by him; his beautiful music coupled with a cool accent and attitude derived from his Afropolitan status made him exotic and modern. It made him someone to know; I put him on this pseudo-pedestal that made my relationship with him tenuous and a bit confusing.
Theatre does that to me; I meet these amazing artists and convince myself I am not worthy. Juwon is very generous with his art – he wants it to be perfect and will devote attention and care to anyone performing that music. And like so many others I’ve met, I’ve been lucky to know and work with him. I am now destined to move forward with his spirit as a part of my story.
Scenes and Stories 