Ademola, Ade (Nigerian-American playwright, screenwriter, jurist, 19__-____), “Oluronbi,”
a 40-minute bare-stage classically-structured poetic drama in English, set in the courtyard of Oluronbi’s quarters, in the Kingdom of Ife, in West Africa, ancient times,
1m3f (+ optional extras as supplementary chorus)
; • © 2000 by Ade Ademola; • in Ade Ademola’s Oluronbi (Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A.: The Author, 2000); • script/rights available from Ade Ademola, 10 Plaza Street, Brooklyn, New York 11238, U.S.A., telephone (home) 718-789-6928, e-mail ade685@msn.com (if using e-mail, please follow with a telephone call unless you receive reply to your e-mail within 48 hours). • Cited by Ade Ademola, via ftp, February 22, 2003; Ademola says,
§ Dramatis Personae Messenger (m), 29, physically fit; Queen Oluronbi (f), 21, ____; Ayesha (f), 50, ____; Chorus (f), adult of any age, ____.
§ Synopsis “Æons ago in the Kingdom of Ife, in West Africa, Queen Oluronbi, barren, bargains with tree god, Iroko, that if he grants her a child, she will sacrifice the child back to him in gratitude. She merely wants to feel the joys of motherhood for a short while and be fulfilled as a woman, she said. After she has the child, she tries desperately to rescind the bargain and not kill her child. The god ravages the kingdom, and all try to make Oluronbi fulfill her pledge.
§ Comment “Based on a myth of the Yoruba tribe in West Africa. • The courtyard of Oluronbi’s quarters can be a bare stage. The place does not change. Action is continuous. Time is within a day (24 hours). Thus the structure obeys the three unities of classical Greek drama and other of its rules as well. Because of the elevated language used, the actors should be classically trained. • Premiered by Africa Arts Theatre Company, in an Equity Showcase Code production, at the Raw Space Theatre, 529 West 42 Street, New York City, 2000. • Research could include Carla Gant’s costume designs for “Oluronbi,” at http://www.carlagantsdesigns.com/newpage12.htm, accessed February 23, 2003. • Also, research could include “Yoruba Religion and Myth,” http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/landow/post/nigeria/yorubarel.html, accessed February 23, 2003. • Also, research could include “Oluronbi,” a popular folksong in Yorubaland.
§ Themes ancient West Africa, motherhood, myth, Queen versus god, Yoruba tribe.
See also Ade Ademola’s
This Website continues under construction and welcomes new citations and comments.
Page mounted February 23, 2003, and updated February 28, March 5, October 21, 2003, April 26, August 19, 2004, by the Webmaster.
There is a there there with a correct click.
Scarecrow Press, Inc.
4720 Boston Way, Lanham,
Maryland 20706, U.S.A.
telephone 800-462-6420 or
301-459-3366, fax 800-338-4550
4 Pleydell Gardens, Folkestone,
Kent CT20 2DN, England
Both volumes of this guidebook
are available in 2-3 days from
ScarecrowPress.com
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
Borders.com