…as students performs Jerry Alagbaso’s play
From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Associate of Professor of the Department of Media Studies ( Film)of the Imo state University, Gloria Chimeziem Ene- Samuel has appealed to the Imo state government to assist the department to enble it procure the necessary technical equipment for the training of students in film production .
Ene- Samuel who directed and produced the stage drama of ” Sipping coffee with my Boss” , a play written by Hon Jerry Alagbaso , former Member of the House of Representatives for Orsu/ Oru East / Orlu at the weekend was held at the COMMASIE Arts Theatre of the Imo State University.
She said, ” For a long time Jerry Alagbaso plays has been produced in many other places . But we have just been doing it at the skeletal level in our exprimental classes but now we decided to do a command production and let the people know that we have the talents . The play sipping coffee with my Boss tries to mirror the leadership problems in the university environment and the solutions to these problems . We decided to do the stage production because it is going to help the Management of the Imo state University to draw from the lessons that the playwright Jerry Alagbaso is trying to pass to them to always investigate issues before decisions are taken and as well as dealing with the problem of sycophancy. ”
She added, ” But the department lacks the funds to do the command production earlier . Most universities likes entertainment but they don’t want to fund it.Infact was Hon Jerry Alagbaso who provided us with the funds when told him about the command production of his play. He hired some of the technical hands for us . We used our students. The Department lacks the necessary funds and equipment like the stage lightning which we have to hire and they are very expensive. So, we are appealing to the state government and individuals to assist the department because we intend to commence film production but we don’t have the money but we have the abundant talents in this department to do it.”
The Head of the Theatre Arts department, Dr Chris Nwaru , said, ” Sipping Coffee with my Boss wriiten Rt Hon Jerry Alagbaso has to do with the little politics within the academia .
” It is not easy to be in politics and still have the time to write plays.I give kudos to Jerry Alagbaso. This is not his first plays . I have read others, we intend to do this periodically to return what we call ” Theatre culture in the Imo state University. We use plays and dramas such as this to correct the ills of the society . And , Jerry Alagbaso is also always giving us solutions on how to tackle these problems.”
Also, erstwhile state Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Hon Nze Ray Emeana appealed to the state government to assist the department with funding , this is even as he commended the dexterity of the actors for their stage command performance of the play.
” I commend the students who took part in this command production of the play.I also commended Hon Jerry Alagbaso for assisting financially in production tailored at educating the undergraduates of becoming great actors , Stage Designers , Make- Up Artists in the future. We appeal to the government to assist in the funding, as you can see the actors are making do with whatever is avaliable as against the absence of good sets, acoustic, lighting and space . Overall, it is exciting and I commend Hon Jerry Alagbaso, the prolific writer for always raising of solutions to our societal problems via his numerous books and plays” .