Posted by By HAMMED BODUNRIN, Osogbo on
More than one hour before the commencement of the programme scheduled to hold between 8pm and 10pm, she was already in the hall. Moving about, making arrangements.
More than one hour before the commencement of the programme scheduled to hold between 8pm and 10pm, she was already in the hall. Moving about, making arrangements. She was so mobile with sharp eye for details that you would easily take her for one of the dutiful lieutenants, making sure things are in place before the arrival of the boss.
And when you ask for the Head of Department, to your amazement, somebody replied: 'Go and meet that madam." You hesitated, so that you don't disturb the busy bee, until you are told again: 'that is the HOD or are you not seeing her again?"
That is Dr. (Mrs) Foluke Ogunleye, the Head of Department, Dramatic Arts, of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife. Daily Sun met her at the Oduduwa hall venue of the 2006 Convocation play titled Twingle Twangle Twyining Tayle written by Prof. Femi Osofisan and which was directed by her.
The play was executed by a large cast of 120 comprising of students from the Department of Dramatic Arts, volunteers from other departments in the university, members of academic staff of drama department, one lecturer from pharmacy, guest artists from the Ile-Ife community (continuing with the town & gown tradition which was initiated at the Ori Olokun theatre by Ola Rotimi) and members of the acting company.
Dr. (Mrs) Ogunleye is not only the first female HOD of the department, but the first alumna to be in such position
To her, being the HOD as a woman or as the first alumna 'is not something extra- ordinary" but a combination of determination to actualize self, which was crowned by God's grace.
'I decided I was going to study dramatic arts after watching the FESTAC 77 celebrations. Though prior to that time, I was always involved in stage plays in my schools.
I played different roles and when the festival was held in 1977, I decided I was going to the university to study drama as a profession and here we are," she told Daily Sun, adding that the journey to heading the department may be result of many factors: 'Maybe I happen to be at the right place at the right time and maybe because early in my career, I decided I would come back to my base, which is this department. And naturally one day I know I'll be the head of the place."
Town and gown
The idea of matching the gown with the town, according to Dr. Ogunleye, became popular with the university since the period of Professor Ezekiah Oluwasanmi as the Vice-Chancellor of the then University of Ife . 'It is the interaction of the gown and town that led to Ori Olokun theatre," she said.
Actors are unserious people?
The university don lamented, 'People think drama is not a serious profession. Because you entertain them for two hours, they will not know that the least time you can spend putting things together is perhaps six weeks. And perhaps because they watch you playing, their approach to your issues centres around playing."
Dramatic Arts Fund
Dr. Ogunleye advocated a fund similar to Education Tax Fund to develop drama. She noted that to stage a good play or produce a worthy film; a lot of money is involved. 'There should be enough money to do all these. Outfits such as the National Theatre in Lagos cost a lot of money. Of course, the play we just staged was made possible because the university funded it. If not for the cooperation of the Vice-Chancellor and ceremonial committee, it would not have been possible."
Proper training nullifies sexual harassment
On the issue of sexual harassments of actresses, Ogunleye said only ladies who are properly trained in the profession can successfully confront the menace. She explained that those who are incompetent lobby to be given roles to play, whereas producers would seek those who are good. 'Many of them will tell you they have not got a role to play. There is no role they can play anyway. The skill, the knowledge is not there so, they can do anything to be considered for a role," she staid adding, 'those who are well trained will never be harassed, rather, people will look for them to give them roles to play."
Coming of age
I am privileged to be the first female and the first alumna to be heading the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University in its 30 years of existence. This marks the ‘coming of age' of the department. It is also gratifying to note that my tenure marks the beginning of the postgraduate programme in the department. This is a culmination of years of hard work on the part of my predecessors. Work on the PG programme was initiated by Dr. Olu Akomolafe, continued by Mr. Uko Atai and Dr. Charles Uji. The first set of students, however, matriculated in the 2006/2007 session.
Another ‘first' that I look forward to scoring is to bring film alive in the department. I look forward to producing/directing the first feature film in the department. We have a virile theatre company - The ‘Awo varsity Theatre Company' which is the only one of its kind remaining in any Nigerian university. The new Vice Chancellor (Professor Faborode) has helped us to inject new life into the theatre by providing human and material resources for us to work with.
Members of the theatre will form the core of the cast for the film as well as members of the academic staff. Our students will also benefit immensely from the project because the Awo varsity theatre has been designed to be a laboratory for them through which they practise, observe and test the theories they learn in the classroom. A close look at Nollywood reveals that quite a large percentage of directors, actors and actresses are alumni of the Department of Dramatic Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University. We hope to reach out to them to also participate in the film.
Another contribution to the development of Nollywood from Ife, in which I am directly involved, is the production of two books about the video phenomenon. I have produced African Video Film Today, which has become a veritable resource in academic circles internationally. A search on the Internet would reveal how widely circulated the book is. It is being used in universities in many countries in Europe and in the United Stats of America. A follow-up to the book is being published by Academic Publishers in Swaziland and it is expected to be out in early 2007. In acknowledgement of my seminal work on the Video Film in Africa, CODESRIA is currently funding a project for another book that will cover the whole of Africa.
I look forward to a future project on film and history. For some time now, I have been looking at the relationship between film and history and I am not happy with the status of history in our school curriculum. Our children do not know anything about our history again. They know more about American and British history than African or Nigerian history. I gave my final year students the following quotation from Balufu Bakupa-Kanyinda, a Congolese film director, 'Africa, without its own mirror, does not know who it is anymore. Children's heroes are no longer Mandela, Biko, Lumumba, Nkrumah or Sankara, but blonde women and men with blue or green eyes".
Bakupa-Kanyinda was talking about the African film being used to tell the African story, by Africans and from an African perspective. It just crossed my mind that I should ask the students about the African heroes enumerated in the quote. I was shocked by their response. The only names they recognized were Mandela, and Nkrumah. The situation is very grave and I think we should begin to make historical films to bring African history alive for the younger generation. I think the universities are in the best position to produce this type of historical films.
What the play is about
In Twingle Twangle, we see the quintessential Osofisan - with his rib-cracking humor and his intellectual engagement with Nigeria's social and political problems. The play remains a reflection of his abiding faith in statesmanship, as he urges members of the civil society to get involved and take their destinies in their hands. The humor in the play is an invaluable therapy in stress-filled Nigeria.
In the contradictions of life, Femi Osofisan's Twingle-Twangle- A Twyning Tayle is our guide as we graduate another batch of youths. As they go forth into the world, what choices would they have to make? As they transit into adulthood (like Taye and Kehinde in the play), where would they choose to live? In Ereko, perpetuating the heritage of force and violence, or in Etido, sowing the seeds of life and peace? Which would they prefer to use - brain (like Taye) or brawn (like Kehinde)? Questions, questions and more questions! But the answers lie in our hands.
• Twingle-Twangle: A Twyning Tayle by Femi Osofisan will run from January 10, 2007 for ten nights at the Pit Theatre, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.