QUEEN AMINA OF ZAZZAU OPENS 7^TH JOS FESTIVAL OF THEATRE 2013

The 7^th Jos Festival of Theatre 2013 opens on Saturday 23^rd February in the city of Jos with five plays spread into one week. The plays carefully chosen by a panel of writers, arts enthusiasts and journalists depict some of the challenges of human frailties and aspects of human behaviour that we all grapple with.

Wale Ogunyemi’s epic play Queen Amina of Zazzau opens the festival on Saturday 23^rd February and it tells the story of the legendary Queen of the ancient Empire of Zazzau, her administrative skills, her love for her people,  her formidable spirit in war and her love life which proved to be a fatal flaw in her greatness. The play had a successful run recently in Abuja.

This will be followed by August Wilson’s Jitney which is one of the festival plays dedicated to the annual African-American History month. The play set in a taxi (jitney) park is the story of a father’s bitter disappointment with his son and his inability and unwillingness to forgive his son before his own death. His son had shot and killed his white girlfriend in circumstances that could have been avoided.

The Audience by Vaclav Havel comes next with the collaboration of the Czech Embassy and it is the story of life in the former Soviet Republic when workers and neighbours were not sure of who was an agent of the police or the Soviet KGB. It will be recalled that Vaclav Havel was the first President of former Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic. This is a true life story told through his alter ego, Vanek.

The second American play of the festival, Tennessee Williams’ Cat On A Hot Tin Roof will feature next within the festival. Another play dedicated to honour those men and women who have always been concerned with human dignity and human advancement within the annual African-American History Month, the play is the story of a dysfunctional family with a very sick patriarch who meet to possibly share his property while the man was dying. One of his sons, a lawyer believes that he should be the rightful heir while the son favoured by their father is an alcoholic who does not care for anything except his drink.

The final play of the festival is Femi Osofisan’s Midnight Hotel, a metaphor of a sick nation ruined by greed, waste and addictive corruption. It is midnight and the cover of darkness gives room for all sorts of vices and arrangements.

The festival with the theme ‘Challenge Perceptions’ will be preceded by a pre-festival play, Banana Talks on Sunday 17^thFebruary where two characters meet to examine their previous lives and compare these with their present existence. This is in addition to the workshops on arts management, salsa dance and directing that will feature within the festival which will also be introducing the songs of Joy Okeshola.

The 2013 festival with the generous support of the US Mission, Nigeria and logistic support by the Alliance Francaise, Jos will employ over 100 theatre workers and actors in the seven days festival which moves to Abuja starting March 8^th and where for three weekends there will be nine performances at the Merit House, Maitama, Abuja of three plays from the Jos Festival.

@Ropo Ewenla