Sunday-Sunday Drama

Excerpt from Toyin Akinosho's Artsville column of yesterday...
"Now, Live Drama Happens Every Sunday
- THE playwright Wole Oguntokun and the arts promoter Bolanle Austen-Peters have revived a 50-year-old idea to have a drama performance in a respectable venue in the city of Lagos at least once every weekend. Theatre at Terra is the latest incarnation of the initiative that gave rise to a period of sustained performances at the J.K. Randle Hall in Onikan in the 60s and the birthing of J. P. Clark's Pec Repertory Theatre in the same venue 26 years ago. In October, which is the second month, Theatre At Terra will feature Femi Osofisan's The Engagement (October 7), Zulu Sofola's Wizard Of The Law (October 14) and two plays by Ahmed Yerima: Yemoja (October 21) and The Twist (October 28). Theatre At Terra grew out of Oguntokun's Season Of Soyinka's Plays, a one off series of live drama performances over four weekends at Terra Kulture last August. At the end of the well-attended Season, produced in commemoration of the Nobel Laureate's 73rd birthday, the collaborators realised they had hit upon a do-able project. There are thousands of Nigerian plays all over the place; why not take one each every weekend and breathe life into it? Terra Kulture has always been considered a smart place to hang out, especially by the Lagos Peppersoup Elite (roughly defined as the species of middle class Nigerians who earn 150,000 plus a month and can afford to travel for holidays once a year). So, getting an audience to fill the 100 seats in the auditorium for N2,000 each has not been extraordinarily difficult. Even so, to put quality work on stage requires more than the N200,000 guaranteed by a full hall."

The first in this month's Theatre@ Terra 'A Gathering of Eagles' productions, Femi Osofisan's The Engagement (directed by Sunkanmi Adebayo), was performed yesterday @ Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Coming highlights this month

• Sunday October 14 - The Wizard of Law by Zulu Sofola (directed by Gbenga Adekanmbi);
• Sunday October 21 - Yemoja by Ahmed Yerima (directed by Segun Adefila); and
• Sunday October 28 - The Twist by Ahmed Yerima (directed by Theatre@ Terra convener, Wole Oguntokun).

Guarantee Trust Bank's sponsorship may be in the offing to keep this important new initiative going. More info...