February 6, 2026 | Theatre,

Meet Ahamefule J. Oluo of The Things Around Us

At the center of The Things Around Us is a single performer, commanding the stage through storytelling, music, comedy, and conversation with the audience. That performer is Ahamefule J. Oluo: a composer, trumpeter, writer, and performer whose work lives at the intersection of music, theater, and lived experiences.

As a trumpeter, Oluo has performed with musicians like Macklemore, Das Racist, and Julian Priester and has played with jazz quartet Industrial Revelation, for which they won a 2014 Stranger Genius Award. In 2014, Oluo became Town Hall Seattle’s first ever artist-in-residence; it was there were they developed their first opera, which went on to play at New York City’s Public Theater as part of the Under Radar Festival. In addition to their stage pieces, Oluo has starred in the film Thin Skin, based on their off-Broadway play Now, I’m Fine and their This American Life episode “The Wedding Crasher.”

Ahamefule J. Oluo’s The Things Around Us comes to Boston as the final installment in a trilogy which began with Now I’m Fine and continued with Susan. While each piece stands on its own, together they chart an evolving artistic journey, one that moves from personal reflection toward a broader meditation on connection and community. This show runs for a limited time at the Emerson Paramount Center, from February 20-22, with tickets on sale now! Not already convinced to go based on Oluo’s impressive background? Watch a moment from the show below, and listen to the soundtrack here!