The Abyssinians

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The Abyssinians

By: Banna Desta

Narrated by: Danielle Deadwyler, Phillip Brannon, André De Shields, Chukwudi Iwuji, Zainab Jah, Arsema Thomas

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About this listen

Royal intrigue takes center stage in The Abyssinians, a gripping new audio drama starring Danielle Deadwyler (Till, The Piano Lesson) delivering a masterful performance as a cunning queen navigating treacherous political waters and scheming sons.

In the wake of King Ezana’s death, his brash widow Queen Yodit (Deadwyler) must decide which of her twin sons will ascend to the throne. Clashing beliefs about religion, duty, and the rights of a ruler collide in this unforgettable story about a royal house at a crossroads in history.

Set in the ancient Aksumite Kingdom of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, this fresh take on historical drama is enhanced by an original Ethio-Jazz score and powerful performances from a full cast of award-winning actors. Experience the vibrant and influential African kingdom like never before in this immersive and electrifying Audible Original.

Directed by Shariffa Ali with sound design by Alex Trajano. Original music by DA Mekonnen and Andrew Orkin, featuring Kibrom Birhane.

Playwright Banna Desta was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible-commissioned playwright, she received funding and creative support to develop The Abyssinians.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

Epic

Fantasy

Historical

Historical Fiction

Politics & Activism

Royalty

Banna Desta

Shariffa Ali

About the Creator

Banna Desta (she/her) is an Eritrean and Ethiopian-American writer for the stage and screen. She crafts stories about and for the African diaspora. Her work for the stage has been supported and developed by SPACE on Ryder Farm, Audible Theater, Rattlestick Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, National Black Theater, and the Dramatists Guild Foundation. She received her MFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU, where she currently teaches undergraduate students.

About the Performer

Shariffa Chelimo Ali is an international creative leader dedicated to harnessing art and activism for social change. Raised in South Africa with roots in Kenya & Ethiopia, she has called New York home since 2013, where she works as a director, producer, and educator. Her films have been showcased at renowned festivals, including Sundance and the Brooklyn Film Festival. As a theater artist, Shariffa has taught at prestigious institutions such as NYU and Princeton University, directing notable productions like Eclipsed and We Are Proud to Present.... She was assistant director to Cynthia Nixon and collaborated on Nixon's HBO Max directorial debut. In 2022, Shariffa was appointed Elizabeth M. Swayzee Artist in Residence at Miami University, where she serves as creative director of the Electric Root Festival. She’s the Director in Residence at Brown University’s Rites & Reasons Theatre. Her accolades include the Hermitage Major Theatre Award and the New Frontier Fellowship at Sundance Institute. She holds a BA with honors in Theatre Making from the University of Cape Town. More at www.shariffa.com.

Danielle Deadwyler

Phillip James Brannon

About the Performer

BAFTA nominee Danielle Deadwyler is a multidisciplinary performance artist, actor, and filmmaker. Danielle recently completed the Blumhouse/Universal feature Woman in the Yard in which she both stars and serves as executive producer. Danielle’s upcoming projects include Netflix’s feature adaptation of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson and the action-thriller Carry On.

Danielle is best known for her starring role in the award-winning film Till, portraying Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Her performance garnered her the 2022 Gotham Award for Outstanding Lead Performance, the 2022 Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television Actress Award for Film, and the 2022 National Board of Review Breakthrough Performance Award.

Danielle can also be seen in A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, the Netflix limited series From Scratch, as well as the Emmy-nominated limited series Station Eleven for HBO Max, for which she was nominated for a 2023 Film Independent Spirit TV Award in the category of Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, and the acclaimed Netflix feature The Harder They Fall and was nominated for the NAACP Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

About the Performer

Phillip James Brannon (he/him) Broadway: Macbeth (Longacre); JUNK (Lincoln Center). Off-Broadway: Merry Wives, Tiny Beautiful Things, ToasT (The Public); The Fires, We Are Proud…(Soho Rep), Toni Stone (Roundabout), Log Cabin, BootyCandy (Playwright’s Horizons, Obie Award); The Anitpodes (Signature); The City of Conversation (Lincoln Center); Nat Turner in Jerusalem, Love and Information, Belleville (New York Theatre Workshop). Regional: Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Williamstown, Sundance, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Court, Congo Square, Huntington, Kansas City Rep, The Wilma. TV/Film: Benny and James (Cannes and HollyShorts short film winner), Roscoe on Servant (Apple+), The Sinner, Blacklist, The Good Fight, Elementary, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Law & Order: SVU, Contagion. Training: DePaul University.

About the Performer

In a career spanning fifty-five years, André De Shields, at age 78, has distinguished himself as a legendary actor/activist, iconic philanthropist and Broadway deity. Mr. De Shields was the triple-crown winner of the 2019 awards season, having won the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Grammy and Tony Awards as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his unanimously critically acclaimed performance as Hermes, Messenger to the Gods, in Hadestown. Prior to his Tony Award, Mr. De Shields was best known for his show-stopping performances in four legendary Broadway productions: The Wiz (title role), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Emmy Award), Play On! (Tony nom.), and The Full Monty (Tony nom). Among his many other accolades are three honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees, the OBIE Award for Sustained Excellence, three JEFF Awards, nine AUDELCO Awards and the 2023 89th Annual Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater. The ninth of eleven children reared in Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. De Shields is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. www.andredeshields.com. Ubuntu!

About the Performer

Chukwudi Iwuji played the lead villain ‘The High Evolutionary’ in James Gunn’s international blockbuster film Guardians of the Galaxy as well as co-starred in his series Peacemaker.

Other film credits include John Wick: Chapter 2, A Woman, a Part, and Barry. His television credits include The Underground Railroad, When They See Us, The Split, Designated Survivor, and Doctor Who .

A renowned theatre actor, Iwuji’s credits at NY Public Theater include the title role in Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, King Lear, and Hamlet, as well as The Low Road (Obie Award). In London for the RSC he played the title role of Henry VI (Two Olivier Awards), Obsession, Hedda Gabler, and Richard III. Iwuji will soon be seen in the film Play Dirty and limited series Day of the Jackal.

About the Performer

Zainab Jah is an award-winning British/African actress. She can be seen on the Starz series The Continental, and also opposite Cynthia Erivo in the feature Drift. Jah can be seen starring in Hulu/A24’s False Positive with Ilana Glazer and Ekwa Msangi’s award-winning feature film Farewell Amor, which premiered in competition at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Jah was named one of the breakout stars of the fest by the LA Times.

Other recent credits include Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, the latest season of Deep State for Epix, in which she starred opposite Walton Goggins, Homeland for Showtime, and as Harriet Tubman on The Good Lord Bird for Showtime.

An incredibly accomplished theatre actor, Jah has starred opposite Lupita Nyong’o in Eclipsed on Broadway and made history as one of the first Black women to take on the title role in Hamlet. She also has received accolades for her performance in the title role in Suzan Lori Park’s Venus at New York’s prestigious Signature Theatre and the world premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play for MCC. Her performance as “Lena” in Athol Fugard’s Boesman & Lena earned her nominations for the 2019 Lucille Lortel, Drama League, and Drama Desk Awards.

About the Performer

Arsema Thomas (she/they) has just concluded filming She Taught Love, starring opposite Taissa Farmiga. She shines as ‘Young Lady Danbury’ in the Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers' production Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which, as highlighted by Variety, premiered to top ratings on Netflix, drawing nearly 150 million hours watched. Previously, Arsema appeared in DJ Caruso's Redeeming Love. A scholar and artist, Arsema holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Carnegie Mellon and a master's in Chronic Disease Epidemiology/Public Health from Yale. A 2022 alumna of the renowned London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), her polyglot prowess and diplomatic lineage grant her fluency in English, French, Spanish, Yoruba, and Amharic. Her philanthropic endeavors echo her rich Ethiopian and Nigerian roots, influenced by her time in Uganda, Kenya, Togo, Comoros, Benin, and India.

ORIGINALS

Captivating Storyline • Immersive Experience • Outstanding Performances • Rich Cultural Elements • Beautiful Writing

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This one of the best audible original that I have listen to. applause applause

The production was magnificent