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“The Lion and the Jewel”
Drama Department Performs
Nigerian Play
Stanley Wakefield as Baraka
Morehouse Performance
Ministry Presents:
“God’s Trombones”
by Kimberly Harding
The Department of Drama at
Spelman College presented,
“The Lion and The Jewel/’ by
Wole Soyinka, in the John D.
Rockefeller Jr. Fine Arts Building
Theatre, February 21-25. Under
the direction of Dr. Oseloka O.
Osadebe, an Associate Professor,
and Technical Director and
Designer at Spelman, one of the
aims of the play was to capture
the rudiments of African theatre.
“The Lion And The Jewel” is
popular amongst Nigerians and
non-Nigerians alike, and accor
ding to its director, though the
play has an African setting its
theme is universal. The play's
action is centered on a clash
between the false values of a
young, sentimental lover, Laku-
nle, who was portrayed by
Charles Reese, and the genuine,
traditional values of the cunning
wise old Baroka, played by
Stanley Wakefield. Lakunle, the
village school teacher, is in love
with Sidi, Patricia Lorent, a
beautiful unschooled virgin, and
wants to marry her, but he
refuses to comply with the
traditional custom of paying the
bride price to consumate the
marriage proposal he makes to
Sidi. Meanwhile, a Lagos
photographer brings a magazine
of front - page and centerfold
pictures of Sidi he had taken
prior to the opening of the play.
Baroka, the village ruler, seeing
the power the exposures give to
the ingenue, decides to marry.
He lures her through pretending
to be impotent, and promptly
seduces and marries her. Thus
cuckolding Lakunle, the well -
done ways of traditional life,
defended by the foxy Baroka,
triumph over the half - baked
ideas of progress, mouthed by
the shallow hypocrite, Lakunle.
The play included satire, humor,
mime, music, and African dance
which was eloquently executed
by dancers Mitzi Slack and
Cassandra Hider. Other cast
members were Denise Thimes as
Sadiku, the head wife of Baroka,
Baroka’s wrestler, Vincent
Tillman, and Wendall _Gary,
Jolanda Johnson, and Robin
Murphy. The sounds of the
skillfull drummer were provided
by Dr. Ayokunle Odeleye of
theSpelman College Art Depart
ment.
"We hope the audience was
able to see the African approach
to entertainment," stated Dr.
Osadebe. "African theatre in
volves everyone, it is a communi
ty of togetherness, a gathering of
people with different skills, and
this play should have brought
that out.”
The play proved to be very
challenging to its actors, but
everyone endured. Stanley
Wakefield, a newcomer to the
Spelman College stage, was most
impressive as Baroka the King.
Patricia Lorent carried the
weight of the play in the deman
ding role of Sidi, supported by
Charles Reese, and Denise
Thimes.
“The Lion and The Jewel”
introduced a new style of theatre
to the Atlanta University Center,
and it was timely to have been
showing during Black History
Month.
by Charles W. Reese
In celebration of Black History
Month, the Performance
Ministry at King Chapel
presented God's Trombones by
James Weldon Johnson. The
performance was held on
February 12, at the Martin Luther
King, Jr. International Chapel at
6:00 p.m. on the Morehouse
College campus.
Under the artistic direction of
Mr. Lamar Alford; Dramaturge -
in - Residence, the play was well
performed. The play allowed
audience participation, and it
consisted of many old fashion
hymns which were beautifully
sung by Dr. Henry Gore, Chair
man of the Morehouse
Mathmatics Department.
There were outstanding per
formances by Howard Simon, a
Morehouse student, who gave a
provocative performance of the
sermon, “The Creation," and
Pamela Kelly, a Spelmanite, who
portrayed Mother Death in the
sermon, "Go Down Death.” her
cries of “weep not, weep not,
she is dead. She is resting in the
bosom of Jesus” rang through
the crowd and brought warm
feelings of joy to the audience.
Harietta Ward choreographed
and danced an innovating
modern dance during “Go
Down Death.”
"God's Trombones,” was
written in 1927 by James Weldon
Johnson. The play presents ser
mons Johnson vaguely
remembered from his
childhood, and by the memory
of a Kansas City preacher he had
heard who electrified his
audience with a trombone like
voice. Commencing with a
prayer, Johnson’s play volume
presents seven sermons which
begins with “The Creation,” and
concludes with “Judgement
Day,” encompassing both the
new and old time black
preacher, and uses them as
orators to deliver his poetic
material.
Hats off to Mr. Alford and cast
for a job well done. Amen!
l -i
Patricia Lorent as Sidi
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