When it comes to introducing characters in quick strokes and setting storylines in motion, few devices are more efficient for a writer than a wedding.
A very partial list of stage dramas and films in which nuptials play a key role would include “The Godfather’’ (of course), “The Philadelphia Story” (as Broadway play and film), “The Deer Hunter,” Carson McCullers’s “A Member of the Wedding,” Nia Vardalos’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral.”
Now comes the premiere of “The Ceremony,” the sixth drama in Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-play Ufot Family Cycle about three generations of a Nigerian-American family who are trying to hold on to their heritage while forging lives in their new country.
Set in Worcester, Mass., “The Ceremony” revolves around Ekong Ufot, a 31-year-old Nigerian-American, and Lumanti Shrestha, a 32-year-old Nepali-American.
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Bit by bit, “The Ceremony” turns into an exploration of the challenge of forgiving flawed fathers and generally shedding emotional baggage before you walk down the aisle.
Played by Kadahj Bennett, one of the best actors in town, Ekong is carrying plenty of that kind of baggage. So is Lumanti, portrayed by Mahima Saigal, making her Boston debut in fine style. But they each handle it differently, creating friction between them.
Ekong is ebullient at first as he banters with the bride-to-be, but his mood sours when Lumanti urges him to get in touch with his estranged father to invite him to their wedding. Lumanti is also estranged from her father. She and Ekong have been together for five years, but her father has made no effort to meet him. Nonetheless, Lumanti calls her father and invites him to the wedding. She wants Ekong to do the same.
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Nope. Ekong retreats into his comfort zone, hunkered down in his home and watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as if it has something to teach him. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of what he calls “the Golden Age of Black Family Sitcoms.”
Soon Ekong is virtually immobilized by an identity crisis, struggling to come to terms with the remote relationship he has with his father, Nsikan Disciple Ufot (Adrian Roberts, a commanding presence). Lumanti wants him at their wedding. Ekong does not.
It’s an absorbing struggle — and a reminder of television’s unique potency — but the focus on Ekong pushes Lumanti, the bride to be, to the background in the second half of the play. In Act One, Lumanti is an arresting figure, driving the reaction. Saigal’s skill in performance is such that she makes every word count, with no wasted motion. But in Act Two, Lumanti is largely reduced to a reactive role.
“The Ceremony” is sold out for the rest of its run, an illustration of the impact Udofia’s plays have had in Boston since a production of “Sojourners” launched the Ufot cycle in Boston late in 2024.
Quality-wise and power-wise, “The Ceremony” does not rank with “Sojourners,” or “Her Portmanteau,” or “The Grove.” But it’s a solid addition to Udofia’s ongoing multigenerational chronicle. It features one of the primary strengths of her work: her ability to dramatize experiences — and a perspective on those experiences — that are not often featured on American stages.
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In scenic designer Cristina Todesco’s set, three TV monitors are arrayed above the stage. Ekong can’t keep his eyes off them. He pays special attention to the “Fresh Prince” character of Uncle Phil (James Avery), who is clearly the father Ekong wishes he’d had.
Director Kevin R. Free draws performances of different kinds of intensity out of his cast of eight, which includes Cheryl D. Singleton as Abasiama, Ekong’s mother and a resilient survivor; Salma Quarnain as Laxmi, Lumanti’s mother; Regine Vital as Adiaha, Ekong’s elder sister; Natalie Jacobs as Toyoima, the middle sibling; and Natalya Rathnam as Anjali, Lumanti’s favorite aunt.
Though Ekong is not interested in reconciliation with his father, he does visit the man. Their showdown, when it happens, is an explosive release of pent-up fury.
But there is joy within these two families. By the finale, “The Ceremony” lets us see it, hear it, feel it.
THE CEREMONY
Play by Mfoniso Udofia. Directed by Kevin R. Free. Produced by CHUANG Stage in partnership with Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and Boston University College of Fine Arts, School of Theatre. At Boston University Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre through Oct. 5. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish starting at free. Production is sold out, but waitlist for tickets can be joined at chuangstage.org/the-ceremony
Don Aucoin can be reached at donald.aucoin@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeAucoin.