By Yunus S Saliu
The Ebunjan Performing Arts Association Theatre and Troupe over the weekend ended the one month performance of The Lion and The Jewel play after a non-stop free performance for students of Grade 12 preparing for the final of English Literature examinations in the upcoming West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Entrance to Ebunjan Theatre to watch performance of The Lion and The Jewel become free for grade 12 students and their teachers from Greater Banjul Area since 4th June, following a fundraising performance at the theatre on Friday, June 3rd by the Ebunjan Theatre Troupe.
Performing the play of The Lion and The Jewel, a book written by Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Fridays and Saturdays throughout the month of June was meant to boost students understanding of the book before the due WAEC in July/August.
From the Theatre, “Research has shown that the benefits of students seeing quality live performances of literary works by established playwrights far outstrip the benefits of just reading the plays. As such, the play The Lion and The Jewel is one of the renowned dramas we have chosen to be read, analysed and skilfully performed on stage before a live audience.”
According to a note from the Theatre Troupe secretariat, “our primary target audiences for this Theatre-in-Education (TIE) Literature project are students currently studying The Lion and The Jewel as a required textbook for the WAEC’s Literature-in-English Examination this year.”
The 2 hours play directed by Ms Janet Badjan-Young and according to the book was centered on four main characters performed by professional stage play artistes which included Mariama Colley who played the role of Sidi the young, beautiful village belle; Gibbou M Saidy took the role of Lakunle, a school teacher, nearly 23-year-old; Sheriffo Kanuteh as Baroka, 62-year-old who is the Bale of Ilujinle; Monica Davies played the role of Sadiku – Baroka’s first wife a 70-year-old woman plus Ida Mendy who was Ailatu, the favourite wife of Baroka.
Monica Davies (Sadiku), a stage and screen actress disclosed that the play will give the grade 12 students and some other students that were privilege to watch a better understanding of the popular book.
According to her, sometimes students might not be able to understand some certain words or expressions in the book, but watching the play live on stage will give them good memory of it from begin to end when it comes to answering questions in the examination hall.
“We have been receiving good feedbacks and comments from the students and their teachers, a good sign that majority of them will performance better than ever in this year English Literature examination,” Ms Davies expressed with joy.
Sheriffo Kanuteh (Baroka) a multitalented actor described the performance as a “very important play for students.” He said the book is a play not just like other novels that students can pick and just understand but watching the play has made them benefitted and experienced the message of the book.
However, he admitted that the free performance of the play for a whole month for students is to bring back theatre in schools, which will give courage and ambition to many talented children in schools to discover their hidden talents and achieve it.
Mr Kanuteh advised other fellow actors or those that are interested in acting to come to the theatre, a place for the basic.
Gibou M Saidy, an actor who played the role of Lakunle, the village teacher talked about the importance of teachers in our society and described them as custodian of knowledge.
Considering the importance of Lakunle, the teacher, in the play, he said teachers are supposed to be valued and respected “because they are custodian of knowledge, and anyone who honors his or her teachers honored him/herself.”
Gibou hopes the play will help the students to do better in the examinations “because when I was at their stage I was not privilege to have this kind of opportunity they are having today by going to watch a play of a book that I supposed to write in an exam.”
He assured that Ebunjan Theatre will continue to perform books that will help students in their examinations.
Maimuna Colley, an award winning actress who acted as Sidi in the play gave a brief overview of all the core characters in the play while she like other characters in the play commended Ms Janet Bandan-Young for her commitment.
She applauded other people behind the scene and entire crew of The Ebunjan Performing Arts Association Theatre and Troupe for accorded the students free performance of The Lion and The Jewel for a whole month non-stop (Fridays and Saturdays).
She called on government and other stakeholders to support Ebunjan Theatre, the only theatre in the country saying “Gambian population still need to come see play more often at the theatre to receive more educations and as well support the works of artistes.”