Theatre Emissary International is a cultural centre based in Nigeria that utilizes diverse art forms to educate, conscientize and create positive social change in the society. Theatre Emissary International, with the acronym (TEMi), carries out its mission through stage performances, acting, theatre workshops, applied theatre outreaches, film production and research. Our Centre consists of artists and scholars from a wide range of artistic backgrounds from playwriting, acting, cinematography, directing, education, and technical theatre among others.
TEMi is also a centre for generating knowledge through research. It aims at bridging the knowledge gap between local artists and mainstream artists in management functions in order to harness entrepreneurial possibilities in the various fields of the arts. Therefore, TEMi focuses its attention on theatre education, motion pictures, applied theatre, productions and arts management for effective theatre practice in Nigeria.
It was established in 2011
Our Team.
Charles Etubiebi
Profile
Charles Etubiebi is an actor, the Artistic Director of Theatre Emissary International, and a registered member of the International Theatre Institute (ITI). A multi-medium craftsman, his credits for stage, film, and television include:
- The Armenian International Theatre Institute’s Prospero
- Steve Gukas’ 93 Days
- Africa Magic’s Jemeji, Forbidden, and Enakhe
- Tatafo HQ’s Just Friends
- Fatherland Media’s The Lizard
- Lake Street Films’ The Pugilist
In 2013, he was awarded the Best Male Actor prize at the Al Bugga International Theatre Festival in Khartoum, Sudan.
He won the award for Best Supporting Actor at the 2018 RealTime International Film Festival for his performance in Kunle Nodash’s The Delivery Boy.
Charles performed the one-man adaptation of the play 54 Silhouettes, written and directed by Africa Ukoh, at:
- The 2018 NEAPFEST in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- The 2019 Lagos Theatre Festival in Nigeria
- The 2019 United Solo International Festival in New York, where it won the award for Best International Show
In 2023, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards, the most prestigious award show in Africa.
In 2024, Charles became a Barrhill Fellow after completing the Barrhill Players Fellowship Program, a 10-day intensive core acting training focused on Meisner and Viewpoints acting techniques in Greensboro, Vermont.
Passionate about storytelling, Charles believes in creating art with fellow creatives who share a deep connection to the world around them.
He is based in New York City.
Samson Oklobia
Profile
Samson Oklobia is a Documentary Filmmaker and Television Producer with eleven years of experience under his belt. A graduate of Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Jos, he got his training as a Cinematographer and Filmmaker from PEFTI Film Institute, Lagos and New York Film Academy, Abu Dhabi.
As a student at the University of Jos, he was introduced to Theatre Arts as part of the curriculum and he continued even after school, acting in different stage performances and even producing a few as well. He was a stage actor, with Jos Repertory Theatre, PAWS Studio, and Theater Emissary International, participating in numerous local and international theatre festivals. He also produced and directed an independent theatre project in Nigeria called Back to the Future.
As a filmmaker, he was first a Freelancer, handling cinematography and editing gigs before he decided to make his first short Film; Grey. This film opened up the possibilities of telling impactful human-angled stories and he dived into making documentaries for as many people were interested.
He is currently a Producer and Editor with Flame TV, an independent television station run and operated by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). He still freelances here and there when time and chance permits but his absolute use of spare time is to teach budding filmmakers Cinematography and Non-Linear Editing.
GREY (Short Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZWB-A4pTN8
This short film was my first experience to the world of professional filmmaking and it began my process as an independent filmmaker. I put in all I could muster up at the time and it really paid off. Grey was screened at Lakecity Film Festival and Zuma Film Festival, both in Nigeria, Golden Diana Awards in Austria, RapidLion – The South African International Film Festival, and Mama Afrika Film Festival in Kenya. It tells a story of a young girl who was forced into an exchange marriage system, which ended up killing her dreams of becoming a teacher.
DERANGED (Short Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl8WnSC2xP0
This is the story of Nike, a wife and mother, who realizes that her life and her baby’s life are under threat. When push comes to shove, she has to do all that she can to escape the chains that entrapped her. I played an active role in the production of this short film as a Cinematographer and Editor. Deranged was screened at the Eko International Film Festival, Nigeria where it won the award of Best Actress in the short film category. It was also screened at the 3rd season of Ozark Shorts – a Monthly Film Screening Series in North Hollywood, IndieWise Virtue Film Festival in New Jersey and also selected to screen at Roselle Park Loves Art International Film Festival in Florida and was chosen as a Finalist in the 2016 Thanksgiving IndustryBOOST Competition.
THE UNFORGIVING LAW (Short Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcFnZkFqsJk
This film opened my eyes to a new dimension of storytelling. The amount of work we put into this work as a team still amazes me and I am thankful for the team I worked with to make this film. It tells a story themed around the ills of rape, betrayal, loyalty and love. It also emphasizes how we can make the best out of the worst situations we find ourselves in as we journey through life.
BACK TO THE FUTURE (Stage Play)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjAxZoHvDcA
This was my first attempt at directing and producing a stage play independently. The script was an original one, specifically written for me by a budding playwright; Wapi Barau. My actors had never done any professional acting before but they were ready to put in the work and learn so I poured my years of experience on stage into them and we pulled this off, making history as the only first major independent stage play in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
BADLUCK (Skit)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9z0omKABOk
This is just one out of a compilation project I did and it is one of my earliest. I called the project Random. This project was a compilation of short random skits, with different themes and stories, with the sole aim to address certain ills in my environment at the time and also to entertain. Badluck and Useless Gist, both from the Random project screened at the Lagos Theater Festival Fringe, Nigeria.
FAMILY WAHALA (Feature Film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj4oPEPdEQg
This was my first project as a producer. While I was practicing as a freelance filmmaker in Benue state, Nigeria, I saw a lot of talents who were interested in the craft of storytelling so I started a small training program for them Family Wahala can be said to be the first practical project they embarked on. It went ahead to be hosted on Iroko Tvs Youtube channel.
MBA SPRINT (Promotional Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NgYYwIcWPc
I worked on this project for a client who had a clear idea of what he wanted his promotional video to look and feel like but needed someone to interpret his idea into deliverable video material. By the time I came up with this and shared it with him and his team, I was glad when he said it was even more than he had imagined it to be.
FLAME TV (Promotional Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmotsRg_orw
As part of my responsibilities in my current employment, I was tasked with making promotional materials to feed our TV station and this was one of them. I produced, directed and edited this promotional material.
UNICEF NIGERIA (Documentary)
Taiwo Afolabi
Profile
Taiwo Afolabi is a theatre-maker, scholar, theatre manager and entrepreneur. His interest is in amplifying voices and experiences; and re-centering governance models, strategies and systems on the margin through the lens of decolonization, equity and anti-oppressive approaches. His experience is over a dozen countries across four continents in a variety of contexts focused on socially engaged and community-based creative practice for transformational change. Through storytelling and devised theatre, he works with communities on social issues pertinent to them and his research continues to advance broad-minded thinking within the art and culture sector.
Alechenu Abel
Profile
Alechenu Abel is a multifaceted performing artist with acting, videography, project management, and directing expertise. He earned a degree in Theatre and Film Arts from the esteemed University of Jos and is an alumnus of the Filmakademie Ludwigsburg’s International class program in Germany. Abel currently serves as the Director of Communications at TEMi and is a registered International Theatre Institute (ITI) member.
Abel’s dedication to personal growth and artistic excellence has led him to volunteer as a videographer for the 2024 Fourth Lausanne Congress in Seoul Incheon, South Korea. He also worked as the Production Manager (Creative) for the 2020 edition of the Argungu International Fishing Festival. His professional development includes participation in various workshops and masterclasses, including the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in 2013, 2014, 2018, 2023, and 2024, the FMX International Film Festival in Stuttgart (2022), and the ZUMA International Film Festival in Abuja (2008, 2010, 2012). Additionally, he was involved in the Abuja International Film Festival in 2013.
Abel has made significant contributions to the industry, including serving as the cultural consultant for the first Africa Magic Epic TV series Ajoche, assistant director for the series Unbroken and Riona (spanning all 260 episodes of each), and project manager for the Filmakademie Nollywood Workshop editions held in Lagos and Benin City, Nigeria (2023 and 2024).
As a Nigerian-born actor, videographer, and director, Abel brings years of experience in stage, film, television, and advertising. His notable works include Anna: A Tale for Tomorrow (short film, Filmakademie), Ajoche (TV series, Mnet/Feemo), Tinsel (TV series, Mnet/Africa Magic), Hustle (TV series, Mnet/Blink Media), Cindy’s Note (film, Amstel Malta Box Office Productions), Merry Go Round (film, Kminds Productions), Papuu (film, Nuel-Chris Film Academy), Heart Trending (film, Nelson Jumbo Productions), Skinny Girls in Transit (web series, NdaniTV), and The Mens Club (web series, RedTV), among others.
Abel is passionate about sharing African Nigerian stories with the world and continues to explore and embrace diverse global cultures.