“Sojourners” is the start of the entire nine-part Ufot family cycle in Boston

The Location: Houston, Texas. The time: 1978. This is the America that two newly married Nigerian immigrants enter in hopes of achieving the Nigerian dream, achieving success, and ultimately returning to a better homeland. But life has other plans for Abasiama “Ama” Ekpeyoung and her husband Ukpong, the basic characters in “Sojourners,” the first in a series of nine plays called “Ufot Family Cycle” by Mfoniso Udofia.

Over the next two years, Boston will host the entire series – the first time all nine plays will be performed as a true cycle.

Nigerian-American playwright Udofia began her career as an actress. The Southbridge, Massachusetts native graduated from Wellesley College and earned her Master of Fine Arts from the American Conservatory Theater in hopes of pursuing a life on the stage. The Great Recession changed this trend.

“I became a writer before I knew I was a writer,” Udofia said. “It took me some time to grow into that word and be able to loudly call myself a writer.”

She went on to write for streaming series such as Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” Amazon’s “A League of Their Own,” and the Apple TV+ series “Lessons in Chemistry” and “Pachinko,” the latter of which earned her a Peabody Award.

But the stage still called for Udofia. She wrote three plays, which became five plays, which became nine plays – all about a family across three generations.

“I’m trying to look at what growth means over a 100-year period,” Udofia said. “So I didn’t want to tell it all in one piece. I wanted to look at these characters and develop them over time.”

Udofia said the inspiration for the family at the heart of the Ufot Family Cycle was based on childhood memories, including annual gatherings where Nigerian Americans from Akwa Ibom came together to develop a sense of community. She remembers listening to the men talk about the longing and desire to return to their country, but also how they recognized the good that came from being in the United States.

And despite the authentic characters that Udofia has constructed, she states that the characters are not autobiographical in the traditional sense.

“It’s like capturing my mother’s heart, going the way of an aunt, taking the hand gesture of a cousin and putting it all together to say, ‘I believe Abasiama is that woman,'” she said. “I feel echoes more than anything.”

“Sojourners” opens Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Huntington Theater. For more information, visit https://huntingtontheatre.org/

Guest:

• Mfoniso Udofia, award-winning playwright and creator of the Ufot family cycle.