The Huntington Theatre’s production of “The Grove,” the second play in Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Family Cycle, premiered Feb. 7 at the Calderwood Pavilion. At the Feb. 19 opening night, an undeniable energy filled the air as audience members took their seats, and within minutes of the lights dimming, they were captivated.

“The Grove” follows a Nigerian immigrant family in Worcester. It centers on the harrowing journey of eldest daughter Adiaha Ufot, played by Abigail C. Onwunali, as she struggles to reconcile her sense of self within her family’s culturally-rooted expectations. 

At the heart of the drama is the tension between Adiaha’s private battle for self-discovery and the family’s celebration of her recent academic success. All the while, ancestral figures linger in the shadows, at first silently watching, then speaking, until their presence becomes inescapable. 

The Ufot family dynamic is a generalized representation of the Nigerian immigrant experience in the United States. Through powerful dialogue, stage presence and artistic execution, Udofia’s distinct story of this family articulates a great depth of commentary on the universal themes of familial duty, generational trauma, gender roles, colonial impact and homosexual identity alongside a profoundly resonant depiction of immigrant life.

One-liners from the actors sparked collective hums of acknowledgement from the opening night audience, gradually transforming the stage into a fully immersive experience. The intellectual and emotional depth of the play was present in every moment.

The shadows, embodying Adiaha’s ancestors, played a significant role in the theatrical atmosphere. Often chanting in unison or performing coordinated, graceful movements, the ancestral figures filled the stage with an intangible spiritual energy.

“I’m utterly surprised at how much [audience members] appreciate the shadows,” said Patrice Jean-Baptiste, who played the shadow of Adiaha’s grandmother. “I didn’t think they’d even notice us, realize our impact or get what we’re doing or saying.” Jean-Baptiste was also the understudy for the role of Adiaha’s mother, which gave her a particularly nuanced understanding of the play. 

“It feels like two different worlds, very different worlds,” she said.

Parts of the play were in Ibibio, a Nigerian language spoken by the Ibibio ethnic group, to which both Udofia and the Ufot family belong. Adiaha herself could only barely understand Ibibio, but Adiaha’s father occasionally spoke it, and the shadows primarily communicated in the language.

The shadows were also tasked with distinguishing their embodiment as spiritual ancestors by engaging in quick, natural movements without seeming ghost-like. The shadows each carefully integrated their personal histories, roles as ancestors and use of Ibibio into their performances, resulting in a perceptible yet artistically ambiguous subplot.

“Above all, a shadow is still,” said Dayenne CB Walters, who also played a shadow. “It was a lot of holding stillness, but with intention and literally practicing like a shadow, sending energy instead of sending words or sending motions into the theatrical space.”

Jean-Baptiste and Walters said learning Ibibio was one of the most challenging aspects of the play. 

“There’s several sounds that we don’t use in English,” Walters said. “A lot of times learning a new language feels like doing a tongue twister.”

Of the five shadows embodying Adiaha’s ancestors, Ekemini Ekpo was the only native Ibibio speaker, though stronger in listening than speaking. Jean-Baptiste and Walters reported working with Ekpo individually for direct feedback from someone closer to the language. 

“I often feel like I’m holding the language in my hands the way I feel when I speak English,” Ekpo said. “I feel like I’m able to access my shadow because I understand what she’s saying.”

As a native speaker, Ekpo felt an added pressure to speak Ibibio well. 

“How do I speak Ibibo that’s not inflected by also speaking English?” Ekpo said. “How do I speak Ibibio as someone who the only language they ever knew was Ibibio?”

The magnitude of the shadows’ roles is amplified by the symbolic depth of portraying ancestral figures. 

“If I’m not warmed up, I’m not honoring the ancestors,” Jean-Baptiste said. I feel a responsibility to the ancestors I’m representing, and it feels visceral. It feels spiritual. It feels other-worldly.”

Walters, who said she has 20 years of prior experience in Boston theatre, said “The Grove” was in development through iterative processes all the way up until opening night. 

“The intent to perfect is something that I haven’t been a party to before,” she said.

In addition to Udofia’s vision and the cast’s performances, the staging, costuming, special effects, music and sound culminated in an exceptional play with incredibly high production value. 

“There’s very few companies in Boston that can do this kind of work at this level, and The Huntington is definitely the one,” Walters said. “The results are stunning. It’s an experience I’ve never quite had before.”

Each cast member brought unique value, staying true to their characters while supporting the larger story. Over time, they built a strong bond, with their individual performances coming together to bring Udofia’s story to life with depth and authenticity.

“I’m in a very small part of a very large ensemble,” Walters said. “At the end, several of us are in tears, and [Onwunali’s] in tears from the emotional work that we’re doing, but it’s all good, because you can tell that people are loving it and are feeling affected by it and want to just shout at the end. And you hear them shouting in the end.”

And shout they did. After the final scene, the audience rose to its feet for a standing ovation, with many members visibly moved and in tears.

“The Grove” will run at The Huntington’s Calderwood Pavilion until March 9.