The events marking the grand celebration of the new Department of Creative Arts of the Universiy of Lagos, which began on Tuesday July 21, continues today with with the stage production of Wole Soyinka’s Kong’s Harvest by Crown Troupe of Africa as directed by Segun Adefila. Holding at the new complex of the Department of Creative Arts, located near the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, these events coming at the end of the tenure of the Ag Head of Department, Dr Peju Layiwola celebrate the home coming of several persons who have served in the Department of Creative Arts and others who contributed immensely to the old Centre for Cultural Studies from which the Department evolved in 1997.
The performance of Kongi’s Harvest is coming days after its brilliant staging at the amphitheatre of Ojegba Forest in Abeokuta, Ogun State, for this year’s edition of Wole Soyinka International Culture Exchange, WSICE, project, which is the core project of the The Open Door Series promoted by Alhaji Teju-Kareem-led Zmirage and Professor Segun Ojewuyi-led GlobalNewHaven. In play, the issue of tyranny, bad leadership, a phenomenon in many countries across the African continent, is brought to the fore. Kongi’s Harvest tells the story of Kongi, the president of Isma. He has the spiritual leader King Danlola under ‘preventive detention’ (PD).
He also insists that Danlola should be seen by the people at the festival to bring him the New Yam with his own hands. Kongi plans to use the New Yam festival, a festival highly respected by the people, to make Danlola relinquishhis kingship to him. It is also meant to launder his image. But he does not want to raise any dust over it; he wants to make it appear as if Oba Danlola relinquished power without compulsion. If Danlola hands Kongi the new yam during the festival it would mean Kongi would not only be the political leader of the people, but also the spiritual one. Kongi has been increasingly involved in image building, before the festival comes to a shattering climax.
The action of the play takes place on the eve and the day of the national celebration of Isma. The play begins on a palpable somber and pessimistic mood. The king is endangered. What follows in the narrative depicts that nothing good will come out of Kongi’s leadership over the land of Isma. In the words of the Superintendent, one of Kongi’s right-hand men, Danlola’s supporters have been gathering to desecrate the national anthem of the land. Consequently, Kongi puts Sarumi and Danlola in detention. By so detaining them, the king has been deprived of his traditional power and sovereignty, hence conflicting with the president. To make things work in his favour, Kongi engages the services of a fraternity of Aweris and the ubiquitous organising secretary supported by a brutal Carpenters’ Brigade. However, despite efforts to achieve his ill-conceived plans, his former mistress Segi challenges him both privately and openly.
Danlola gets to know of the plan; he then resolves not to relinquish his religious functions to anyone. Knowing his stand Segi and Daodu persuade him to play along to draw Kongi to the public celebration where he would be humiliated and assassinated. Meanwhile, the celebration continues tomorrow with the awards of excellence to individuals who had contributed immensely to the development and growth of the Centre for Cultural Studies which metamorphorsed in the Department of Creative Arts. The recipients of the awards include, Professor E.J Alagoa, Professor Laz Ekwueme, Professor Akin Euba, Professor Abayomi Barber, Professor dele jegede, Professor Sherifdeen Adetoro, Professor A.V.E Mereni, Late Professor Bode Osanyin, Professor Ebun Clark and Professor Duro Oni. Some served as Director of the Centre and others as Head of Department. Demola Olayiwola would be honoured for his meritorious service to both the Centre and the Department. Engr Yemisi Shyllon, Dr Bruce Onobrakpeya and the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries would also be honoured for their immense contributions and assistance to the growth of the Department. The Press category of awards goes to Jahman Anikulapo, Chioma Okpara, Ozolua Uhakheme, Tajudeen Sowole and Tolu Lamidi.
No comments:
Post a Comment