Women of Owu
Title
Women of Owu
Description
Women of Owu, an adaptation by respected Nigerian playwright Femi Osofisan, of the classic, The Trojan Women, bursts on to the Baxter Flipside stage, from 27 to 30 October 2021, at 6pm with a Saturday matinee at 2pm.
Presented by UCT’s Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies (CTDPS), in collaboration with The Baxter Theatre, the short season of only five performances, is co-directed by Imaan Isaacs and Mwenya Kabwe.
The production showcases 20 CTDPS final year acting students, comprising Abigail Avidon, Lisekho Bulabula, Sidne Barnett, Tayla-Rose Bisset, Nomakhosi Meveni, Caitlyn da Aparecida, Adan Fagan, Dean Goldblum, Mpumelelo Phanginxiwa, Nahum Hughes, Cwenga Koyana, Bianca Lakey, Oratile Ndimande, Daniel Newton, Lyle October, Stian Oosthuizen, Lernice Parker, Tim Stadler, James Stoffberg and Lisa Tredoux.
Musical direction is by Babalwa Zimbini Makwetu, costumes by Leigh Bishop, lighting design by Benever Arendse and set by Lungile Cindi.
Osofisan is an internationally respected Nigerian playwright, director, scholar, activist, novelist, poet, actor and songwriter. In 2016 he became the first African honored by the International Association of Theatre Critics when he was awarded the prestigious Thalia Prize.
Women of Owu is set in the ancient city of Owu, which Osofisan describes (in his notes on the play’s genesis), as a model of prosperity and organisation.
After a seven-year siege, the combined armies of two Yoruba kingdoms, along with Oyo refugees, recruited as mercenaries, entered Owu and sacked the city.
In the third year of the siege, the rains stopped, weakening the once formidable city and strengthening the Allied Forces camped on the other side of the city walls. When they entered the city in the seventh year, they destroyed Owu to the ground and reduced it to rubble. They set fire to the city and killed all the male inhabitants, capturing the women of Owu, as their spoils of war.
The play takes place a day after the sacking of the city. This rendition of the west African adaptation, set in a dystopic African future, is laden with echoes of a timeless lament.
Through their rituals of protest, the Women of Owu, lay bare the unspeakable trauma inflicted on them and the tactics of subversion they endured.
Women of Owu’s brief season, runs from 27 to 30 October, at 6pm and a matinee on Saturday, 30 October at 2pm, in the Baxter Flipside. Age restriction PG.
‘’Our mission is to be an outstanding teaching and research university,
educating for life and addressing the challenges facing our society”.
Performances are limited to 50 percent capacity as regulated by lockdown adjusted alert Level 1 restrictions, with all COVID-19 protocols in place and to be observed. These include the availability of hand sanitisers, tracking and tracing recorded, temperature checks, mandatory wearing of masks and practicing of physical distancing. Audience members are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the performance to avoid delays.
Presented by UCT’s Centre for Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies (CTDPS), in collaboration with The Baxter Theatre, the short season of only five performances, is co-directed by Imaan Isaacs and Mwenya Kabwe.
The production showcases 20 CTDPS final year acting students, comprising Abigail Avidon, Lisekho Bulabula, Sidne Barnett, Tayla-Rose Bisset, Nomakhosi Meveni, Caitlyn da Aparecida, Adan Fagan, Dean Goldblum, Mpumelelo Phanginxiwa, Nahum Hughes, Cwenga Koyana, Bianca Lakey, Oratile Ndimande, Daniel Newton, Lyle October, Stian Oosthuizen, Lernice Parker, Tim Stadler, James Stoffberg and Lisa Tredoux.
Musical direction is by Babalwa Zimbini Makwetu, costumes by Leigh Bishop, lighting design by Benever Arendse and set by Lungile Cindi.
Osofisan is an internationally respected Nigerian playwright, director, scholar, activist, novelist, poet, actor and songwriter. In 2016 he became the first African honored by the International Association of Theatre Critics when he was awarded the prestigious Thalia Prize.
Women of Owu is set in the ancient city of Owu, which Osofisan describes (in his notes on the play’s genesis), as a model of prosperity and organisation.
After a seven-year siege, the combined armies of two Yoruba kingdoms, along with Oyo refugees, recruited as mercenaries, entered Owu and sacked the city.
In the third year of the siege, the rains stopped, weakening the once formidable city and strengthening the Allied Forces camped on the other side of the city walls. When they entered the city in the seventh year, they destroyed Owu to the ground and reduced it to rubble. They set fire to the city and killed all the male inhabitants, capturing the women of Owu, as their spoils of war.
The play takes place a day after the sacking of the city. This rendition of the west African adaptation, set in a dystopic African future, is laden with echoes of a timeless lament.
Through their rituals of protest, the Women of Owu, lay bare the unspeakable trauma inflicted on them and the tactics of subversion they endured.
Women of Owu’s brief season, runs from 27 to 30 October, at 6pm and a matinee on Saturday, 30 October at 2pm, in the Baxter Flipside. Age restriction PG.
‘’Our mission is to be an outstanding teaching and research university,
educating for life and addressing the challenges facing our society”.
Performances are limited to 50 percent capacity as regulated by lockdown adjusted alert Level 1 restrictions, with all COVID-19 protocols in place and to be observed. These include the availability of hand sanitisers, tracking and tracing recorded, temperature checks, mandatory wearing of masks and practicing of physical distancing. Audience members are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the performance to avoid delays.
Genre
Adaptation
Tragedy
Language
CTDPS Production Type
Fourth Year Student Production
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Script Type
Scripted
Year Created
2021
Opening Date
2021-10-27
Closing Date
2021-10-30
Start Time
6pm (with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday 30 October)
Age Restriction
PG
Ticket Price Range
R120
R75 (students and pensioners)
Performance Venue
Geographic Location of Performance
Producer
CTDPS
Baxter Theatre
Director
Text By
Performers
Abigail Avidon
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Lisekho Bulabula
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Sidne Barnett
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Tayla-Rose Bisset
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Nomakhosi Meveni
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Caitlyn da Aparecida
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Adan Fagan
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Dean Goldblum
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Mpumelelo Phanginxiwa
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Nahum Hughes
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Cwenga Koyana
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Bianca Lakey
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Oratile Ndimande
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Daniel Newton
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Lyle October
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Stian Oosthuizen
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Lernice Parker
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Tim Stadler
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James Stoffberg
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Lisa Tredoux
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Musical Director
Stage Designer
Lungile Cindi
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Benever Arendse
Play Based On
Script of the Production
Linked resources
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Women of Owu production Album |
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Women of Owu pre-production album |
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Women of Owu poster |
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