Hero is a heartwarming and suspenseful play that unfolds during a single, enchanting chapter in the life of Vuyo, a spirited middle school student. In a small, traditional South African town where gender norms are strictly adhered to, Vuyo and their  choir-mates, a vibrant and diverse group of young talents, find themselves at the center of an unspoken pact.

When the opportunity arises for Vuyo to masquerade as a girl to showcase their exceptional singing prowess in a national choir competition, the entire community embarks on a remarkable journey of transformation.

Hero is a tale of courage, unity, and the extraordinary power of music to challenge societal norms. In the face of deep-seated fear and uncertainty, Vuyo and their choir-mates embark on a journey of self-discovery, forging an unbreakable bond that carries them all through the highs and lows of the competition and life in newly post-apartheid South Africa.

Vuyo Sotashe (Music Director / Performer)

Vuyo Sotashe is a New York based vocalist, composer, and performer originally from South Africa. Since moving to the United states as a Fulbright Scholar, he has performed with celebrated jazz legends including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Barry Harris, and Winard Harper, to name a few. Recently, Vuyo appeared with multi Grammy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a featured artist on their 2018 Winter Tour across the United States. Sotashe has also appeared as a leader and sideman at the internationally acclaimed Montreux Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Fest, and Joy of Jazz, and Arcevia Jazz Festival. Sotashe is the recipient of the Van Lier Fellowship for Music at Joe's Pub/Public Theater for 2018-2019. He collaborated and performed in Somi Kakoma's debut theater work "Dreaming Zenzile", which was premiered at Joe's Pub, as well as the Apollo, and made his commercial-off-broadway debut as part of the cast in "Black Light", created by performance artist Daniel Alexander Jones in February and October of 2018. Sotashe has gone on to premier a new play, "Cartography" by Kaneza Schaal & Christopher Myres at the Kennedy Center in January of 2019, which will be at the New Victory Theater in January of 2020. Currently he performs as one of the fronting vocalists in the internationally touring, multi-disciplinary band collective Mwenso and the Shakes, while leading his own ensemble appearing on stages across the United States, and around the world. Sotashe continues to create, collaborate, record, and perform as an indelible creative voice both in his home country, New York City, as well as the international scene.