A play set amidst the political turmoil of modern-day Nigeria, written by an exile from that country's military dictatorship, will be presented at the School of Drama this week by a student director from Nigeria who, like the playwright, suffered persecution in his African homeland.
Titled "The Road," the play will be presented Tuesday-Saturday, Jan. 13-17, at the University Theatre, 222 York St. The tragicomedy is the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wole Soyinka, who was jailed and later exiled by the Nigerian government for his political dissidence. In his plays, poetry, novels and essays, Soyinka has condemned the repression and violence he and his fellow Nigerians have suffered under the military regime.
The Yale production is the thesis project of Segun Ojewuyi, a third-year student at the School of Drama, who is also Soyinka's friend and a fellow exile. "I have been hunted out of Nigeria," says Ojewuyi, who was formerly secretary general of the actor's union in that nation. After appearing in a play that was critical of the government, however, he was stripped of his post and barred from working. Since leaving his homeland, Ojewuyi has directed plays in Germany and England.
It was while he was directing one of Woyinka's plays that Ojewuyi first became acquainted with the playwright. "Wole Soyinka's life has been a thorny pilgrimage," says the Yale student, who recently interviewed the playwright for Theater magazine.
Set in contemporary Nigeria, "The Road" tells the story of a Nigerian man, the victim of a road accident, who becomes the center of converging ritual forces. For this production of "The Road," the University Theatre stage has been covered with four tons of earth and a weight-bearing overpass.
"The Road" features the talents of School of Drama actors and design students. The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Danny Beaty, Ed Blunt, Michael Eaddy, Jon Ecklund, Rodrick Fox, Jim Hart, KesKhemnu and Kyle Rivers. The design team includes scenic designer Rachel Nemec, lighting designer Robert Perry, costume designer Sarah Iams and sound designer Jane Shaw.
Showtimes are at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Jan. 17. Tickets for "The Road" cost $10 for the Tuesday-Thursday performances and $12 for Friday and Saturday shows. Student tickets are $8 for all performances.
There will be a special performance benefiting Amnesty International on Wednesday, Jan. 14. The event will feature a pre-show symposium on the political and artistic contexts in central Africa at 6:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets, or for more information, call the Yale Repertory Theatre box office at 432-1234.