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By Henry Akubuiro
The stage play ÌTÀN – The Story, written and directed by the multitalented artist and social activist Mrs Ayo Jaiyesimi, will be staged on Christmas Day, Thursday, 25 December, and Boxing Day, Friday, 26 December, at the glamorous Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
Among its cast are Victor Oyebode and Afeez Oyetoro (acting as Saka). Desirous of developing young Nigerian talents, the producer has, over time, incorporated performers from universities in Lagos, such as Lagos State University (LASU).
The author told newsmen during a briefing at her office in Ikeja, Lagos, “ÌTÀN… is a masterful showcase of Nigerian dance, drama, music, and culture enmeshed in an epic story that cuts across generations.”
The play was first staged at the British Council’s Lagos Theatre Festival. It has also been shown in Lagos, Abeokuta, Abuja, and Ghana, plus at the Uyo Film Festival, where it won an award.
In the performance, Àsìkò, the storyteller, takes you on a visual narrative adventure across time and space. The 90-minute performance by Thespian Family Theatre aims to strengthen community values through narratives, while orientating members of the public to tread a redemptive social path.
Broadening the reach of the performance, the author said she sought to address issues relating to generational tension while identifying challenges faced by Nigerian youths. Besides, it beams light on familial reconciliation, cultural identity, and societal cohesion.
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Prolific and restless, the author’s œuvre teems with nine plays and epic productions. She has collaborated with the National Theatre and the National Troupe of Nigeria, which gave her remarkable visibility, especially in her early days as a theatre practitioner.
In a dysfunctional society like ours, the author envisions theatre as a vehicle for mass mobilisation, nay, a veritable resource to right social wrongs, as well as changing adverse behavioural patterns.
At a media briefing, she said Nigerian youths were contending with growing identity crises, coupled with the failure of the older generation to play their role as custodians and create a seamless transmission of age-old values.
Jaiyesimi is indebted to corporate bodies, such as First Bank, First Pension Custodians, Leadway Assurance, and the GO-Forte Foundation, for supporting the December outings.
Despite not coming from a literary background, Jaiyesimi’s foray into theatre has seen her grow in leaps and bounds. For her, making a difference has been at the heart of her artistic quest.
