Fringe 2025 - Returning Favorites - Cornucopia Productions - Your Hello To My Goodbye

It was great to see this artist returning for another go at the Fringe.

Abdimalik Ahmed, co-writer and co-director on this year’s production, first tackled Fringe in 2023 as a solo act, "The Place I Return To" (part of my Top 20 list that year, and a 5-star show when I saw it).  This time he’s got all kinds of company.  Maryan Yusuf and Sabrin Nur have joined him as writers, and Nadwa Hussein is co-directing, plus a cast of eight actors, a producing and marketing team, so this company is growing, expanding from solo show to ensemble piece this time.

Your Hello to My Goodbye
Venue: Mixed Blood Theatre
Genre/Content: Comedy, Drama, Storytelling
Show Description:
Saxarla is off to New York for her very first job, and tomorrow morning, she leaves home for good—or so she thinks. But on this final night, as she packs her bags and shares quiet moments with her family, something begins to stir. As shadows grow long and the hours slip away, buried truths come to light and familiar bonds begin to shift. Poignant, powerful, and deeply human, “Your Hello is My Goodbye” is a heartfelt exploration of growing up, letting go, and the complicated love that holds us together—even when it’s time to part.

You can find more behind the scenes info on the production on their website and Instagram and TikTok accounts, but the quick version of what the company’s about from the More Information tab on their show page says:

Cornucopia is a horn of plenty, symbolizing the abundance and immense talent spilling forth from the Horn of Africa. It is our mission to amplify East African voices in producing creative works, showcasing that there is no end to our artistry because our Horn is a Cornucopia.
 
At Cornucopia Productions, we believe in the endless abundance of creativity within the East African diaspora. As a Minnesota-based artist collective, we use storytelling as a tool to preserve culture, spark imagination, and foster community.

Our name reflects our roots — the Horn of Africa — and our mission: to spill forth bold, meaningful productions that echo with the richness of where we come from and where we’re going. We are here to amplify East African voices and to prove that our Horn is, and always will be, a Cornucopia.


I found Ahmed’s 2023 solo show “The Place I Return To” to be one of the more compelling shows I saw that year, and I was sad it didn’t find a wider audience.  Hopefully with more folks involved in the project this time around, helping spread the word, their audiences will grow accordingly.  You should definitely check out "Your Hello To My Goodbye" if you get the chance.  I’m going to.

Update 7/24/2025, their Fringe preview:

 

 

Here’s some handy links to my Fringe Top 10, Top 11 to 20 and Returning Favorites lists for this year, as well as all the coverage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival.