April 16, 2026 | Theatre,

Two Years, Nine Plays, One Family: A Recap of Boston’s Ufot Family Cycle

In Old Age is the 8th installment of the Ufot Family Cycle, a nine-play series by Massachusetts-born playwright Mfoniso Udofia, following three generations of a Nigerian-American family through migration, identity, love, and loss. The cycle has been unfolding across Boston stages since fall 2024, and its penultimate performance In Old Age comes to ArstEmerson this June, but before it does, let’s take a look at the other productions in the Ufot Family Cycle!

The cycle began with Sojourners, which ran at The Huntington from October-December 2024. This show introduced audiences to Abasiama and Disciple, a young Nigerian couple navigating marriage ambition after arriving in Houston in 1978. When Disciple becomes infatuated with Motown and American culture, Abasiama finds solace in a new friend, a woman named Moxie.

The Grove followed, telling the story of Abasiama’s eldest daughter Adiaha as she is faced with a life-altering decision during her graduation party. This production, staged at the Calderwood Pavilion in early 2025, is at it’s core, a family drama, set against the theatrical backdrop of a Greek chorus of ancestors.

In March 2025, the third installment of the Ufot Family Cycle was released as an audio drama in partnership with Next Chapter Podcasts and GBH, with select live readings at the Boston Public Library. runboyrun returned to Disciple and Abasiama, who relive the same day over and over from the Biafran War – forcing their 30-year marriage to confront what happens when a war physically ends, but the emotional scars remain. 

Cambridge’s Central Square Theater hosted Her Portmanteau in a co-production with Front Porch Arts Collective, centering on an explosive reunion between Abasiama’s two daughters. This production, directed by Tasia A. Jones, was met by acclaim from critics and audiences alike, with the Boston Globe calling it “a work of fiery intensity.”

Kufre n’ Quay premiered at Boston Arts Academy in July 2025. This installment focused on a 12-year old African boy who arrives in New York’s Little Senegal and joins a youth center, where he falls in love with an African American girl. This production explores the intersection and contrast between African and Black American culture and asks the question: can love bridge a transcontinental divide?

In the fall of 2025, CHUANG Stage, in association with Boston University School of Theatre and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, staged The Ceremony, a moving, multigenerational story that intertwines Nigerian and Nepali cultural traditions. When Abasiama and Disciple’s only son, Ekong, asks Lumanthi Rathi to be his wife, they accept that their dream wedding might have to go on without either of their fathers present. But when Lumanti’s dad has a sudden change of heart, Ekong dares to attempt a reconciliation with his long-estranged father in order to make the ritual of their wedding ceremony truly whole.

Most recently in March 2026, Wellesley Repertory Theatre presented Lifted, which was staged at multiple Boston-area spaces. Lifted followed scholar Toyoima Ufot’s path in academia, built directly on was built on her father Disciple’s work. After she is accused of plagiarism, she travels to Nigeria, a journey that both unleashes her history and heals.

Now, this June, ArtsEmerson and Front Porch Arts Collective will present In Old Age. Abasiama, still living in the home she shared with her late husband, forms an unexpected bond with a soft-spoken carpenter named Azell, sending her off on one last journey through life. In Old Age runs from June 13-28 at the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at the Emerson Paramount Center. Tickets are on sale now so be sure to secure your seat today!

Want to learn more about the past productions? Check out this video recap playlist here.