John Ruganda facts for kids

John Ruganda (born May 30, 1941, died December 8, 2007) was a famous Ugandan writer. He was best known for writing plays. He also taught at universities in South Africa, Nairobi, and Makerere University. His plays showed what life was like in East Africa after countries became independent. He helped shape theater in East Africa. Two of his well-known plays, The Burdens (1972) and The Floods (1980), are often studied in literature classes.

Writing

John Ruganda was a very active writer. He wrote many plays for the stage and also screenplays for television shows.

Plays for the Stage

Here are some of the plays John Ruganda wrote for people to watch in a theater:

• The Burdens: This play was first shown in Kampala, Uganda, in January 1970.
• Black Mamba: This play was performed in Kampala in 1972.
• The Good Woman of Setzuan: John Ruganda translated this play by Bertolt Brecht into Swahili. It was performed in Nairobi in November 1978.
• The Floods: This play was first shown in Nairobi on March 1, 1979.
• Music without Tears: This play was performed in Nairobi in February 1982.
• Echoes of Silence: This play was performed in Nairobi in 1985.

Television Work

John Ruganda also wrote stories for television. These are called screenplays.

• The Secret of the Season: This was a screenplay by Ruganda, shown on Voice of Kenya in March 1973.
• The Floods: He also wrote a TV version of his play The Floods. It was shown on Voice of Kenya in April 1973.
• The Illegitimate: This screenplay by Ruganda was shown on Voice of Kenya in August 1982.