{{Short description|Nigerian playwright (1938–2000)}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}} {{Infobox writer | name = Ola Rotimi | image = OlaRotimi.jpg | birth_name = Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi | birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1938|4|13}} | birth_place = Sapele, British Nigeria | death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|8|18|1938|4|13|df=y}} |death_place = | occupation = Playwright, director. head of department of creative arts at the University of Port Harcourt, lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; has also served as visiting professor, playwright, and director in Germany and Italy, as well as at DePauw University and Wabash College. | education = Boston University {{small|(BFA)}}<br/>Yale University {{small|(MFA)}} | period = 1938–2000 | notableworks = ''The Gods Are Not to Blame'', ''Ovonramwen Nogbaisi'', and ''The Epilogue'' }}
'''Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi''' {{Audio|LL-Q1860 (eng)-Chikeme Chizurum-Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi.wav|Listen|help=no}}, best known as '''Ola Rotimi''' (13 April 1938 – 18 August 2000),<ref>"Ola Rotimi", in Hans M. Zell, Carol Bundy, Virginia Coulon, ''A New Reader's Guide to African Literature'', Heinemann Educational Books, 1983, p. 474.</ref> was one of Nigeria's leading playwrights and theatre directors. He has been called "a complete man of the theatre<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-08-15 |title=20 years on...remembering Ola Rotimi, a complete man of the theatre |url=https://guardian.ng/art/20-years-on-remembering-ola-rotimi-a-complete-man-of-the-theatre/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=2022-03-10 |newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-US}}</ref> – an actor, director, choreographer and designer – who created performance spaces, influenced by traditional architectural forms."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/oct/17/guardianobituaries1 Martin Banham, Obituary: "Ola Rotimi – Playwright who put Nigeria's dramas on the stage"], ''The Guardian'', 17 October 2000.</ref>
==Biography==
=== Early life ===
Rotimi was the son of Samuel Gladstone Enitan Rotimi a Yoruba steam-launch engineer (a successful director and producer of amateur theatricals)<ref>[http://blogs.library.auckland.ac.nz/arts/archive/2011/02/03/Dictionary-of-Literary-Biography-Complete-Online.aspx Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724191417/http://blogs.library.auckland.ac.nz/arts/archive/2011/02/03/Dictionary-of-Literary-Biography-Complete-Online.aspx |date=24 July 2011 }}: ''Emmanuel Gladstone Olawale Rotimi''|E.G.O (ed 2009), Gale Research.</ref> and Dorcas Adolae Oruene Addo an Ijaw drama enthusiast. He was born in Sapele, Nigeria;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.olarotimifoundation.org/biography.html |title=Olarotimi Foundation |access-date=18 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510064234/http://www.olarotimifoundation.org/biography.html |archive-date=10 May 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> cultural diversity was a recurring theme in his work. He attended St. Cyprian's School in Port Harcourt from 1945 to 1949, St Jude's School, Lagos, from 1951 to 1952 and the Methodist Boys' High School, Lagos, before travelling to the United States in 1959 to study at Boston University, where he obtained a BA in fine arts. In 1965, he married Hazel Mae Gaudreau;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/oct/17/guardianobituaries|title=Obituary: Mark Payne|website=TheGuardian.com|date=17 October 2000}}</ref> Hazel also studied at Boston University, where she majored in opera, voice and music education. In 1966 he obtained an MA from Yale School of Drama,<ref name=M.A. group=nb/> where he earned the distinction of being a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in playwriting and dramatic literature.<ref name=project-play group=nb/>
=== Theatrical career ===
Rotimi often examined Nigeria's history and local traditions in his works. His first plays, ''[https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/a-study-of-nigerian-dramatist-ola-rotimi-english-literature-essay.php To Stir the God of Iron]'' (produced 1963) and ''[https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-summary-our-husband-has-gone-mad-again-by-ola-597554 Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again]'' (produced 1966; published 1977), were staged at the drama schools of Boston University and Yale, respectively.<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web|title=Ola Rotimi {{!}} Nigerian scholar and dramatist|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ola-Rotimi|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
=== Later years ===
Upon returning to Nigeria in the 1960s, Rotimi taught at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he founded the [https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/companies/ori-olokun-theatre-the-town-gown-policy/F4F4149E4EC23C0790ECE3ABC4CC1486 Ori Olokun Acting Company],<ref name=CambridgeGuide>"Rotimi, Ola", in Martin Banham, Errol Hill & George Woodyard (eds), ''The Cambridge Guide to African & Caribbean Theatre'', Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 81.</ref> and Port Harcourt. Owing, in part, to political conditions in Nigeria, Rotimi spent much of the 1990s living in the Caribbean and the United States, where he taught at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2000 he returned to Ile-Ife where he lectured in Obafemi Awolowo University till his demise. Hazel (his wife) died in May 2000, only a couple of months before Rotimi's death.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BIOGRAPHY OF OLAWALE GLADSTONE EMMANUEL ROTIMI (OLA ROTIMI)|url=https://fatherlandgazette.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/biography-of-olawale-gladstone-emmanuel-rotimi-ola-rotimi/|date=2019-10-18|website=Fatherland Gazette|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
His later dramas include ''The Gods Are Not to Blame'' (produced 1968; published 1971), a retelling of Sophocles' ''Oedipus Rex''<ref name=CambridgeGuide /> in imaginative verse; ''Kurunmi and the Prodigal'' (produced 1969; published as ''Kurunmi'', 1971), written for the second Ife Festival of Arts; ''[https://medium.com/@abubakarishaqeazy/ola-rotimis-ovonramwen-nogbaisi-when-history-becomes-drama-1b56ae620f9e Ovonramwen Nogbaisi]'' (produced 1971; published 1974), about the last ruler of the Benin empire; and ''Holding Talks'' (1979).
Later plays, such as ''If: A Tragedy of the Ruled'' (1983) and ''Hopes of the Living Dead'' (1988), premiered at the University of Port Harcourt and was a common play in Obafemi Awolowo University Drama Department. The radio play ''Everyone His/Her Own Problem'', was broadcast in 1987. His book ''African Dramatic Literature: To Be or to Become?'' was published in 1991.<ref name="britannica.com"/>
Rotimi, a patriot who shunned the attraction of the West and Europe and returned home to contribute his own quota to nation building.
His dream of directing a play of 5000 cast members materialised at the Amphi Africa Theater when he was being put to rest as the crowd was drawn to a manuscript of the day's program outline. People made dramatic entry and exit to the stage around his casket with the man turning his casket.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ola Rotimi – DAWN Commission|url=http://dawncommission.org/ola-rotimi/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
Rotimi spent the second half of his last creative decade reworking two of his plays – ''Man Talk, Woman Talk'' and also ''Tororo, Tororo, Roro'' – and the result, unpublished at the time of his death in 2000, have now been published under the title ''The Epilogue''. were probably meant as an epilogue to both Rotimi's theatrical and comic careers, which span the entire spectrum of his career.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kamboule|first=Demal Daniel|title=Ola Rotimi|url=https://www.academia.edu/25638682|language=en}}</ref>
It is comical and the language used is a version of "Nigerian English" (for example: "Se you get?" "I called God on him").
The works are also a social satire and this publication will spur renewed interest in his satires. Rotimi is sure to be remembered as a model in the literary genre whose views have shaped the conduct of the theatre and whose plays have demonstrated the power of drama to shape the thinking of the society and attempted to solve some of the problems encountered in everyday living.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A study of nigerian dramatist ola rotimi|url=https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/a-study-of-nigerian-dramatist-ola-rotimi-english-literature-essay.php|website=www.ukessays.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>
== Plays == * (1963) ''To Stir the God of Iron'' * (1966) ''Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again''—depicts the cocoa farmer and businessman Lejoka-Brown as a self-seeking, opportunistic leader who could make better contributions to his country outside of the political arena. * (1968) ''The Gods Are Not to Blame''—an adaptation of the Greek classic ''Oedipus Rex''; the main character gets trapped by pride, ignorance and the caprices of the divinities. * (1969) ''Kurunmi'' * (1970) ''Holding Talks'' * (1971) ''Ovonramven Nogbaisi''—the title character simply luxuriates in the grandeur of his office. Although he is a custodian of culture who inspires people, he does not actively participate in their struggles. * (1973) ''Grip Am'' * (1973) ''Invitation into Madness'' * (1977) ''Akassa Youmi''* * (1979) ''If: A Tragedy of the Ruled''—in ''If'', the young firebrand Hamidu is nowhere to be found when a real commitment is required. * (1985) ''Hopes of The Living Dead''—Rotimi here depicts a different kind of leader: a selfless, result-oriented, committed leadership complemented by a followership that believes in the good of the generality of its members through the application of itself to the cause that is beneficial. *''When the Criminals Become Judges''
''<u>The Epilogue: Two unpublished plays of Ola Rotimi</u>'' *''Man Talk, Woman Talk''
''Man Talk, Woman Talk'' is a comedy play. He makes use of wry humour to seek a level playing ground for resolution of the biases men and women nurse about one another and which affect mutual co-existence of the two. The scene is a court though devoid of the usual technicalities of court rooms. Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. What the author arrives at is not to prove which gender is superior but to show the complementary roles of men and women. There is a great deal of wit in the work and the setting here is the university environment where the youthful contenders are idealistic. *''Tororo, Tororo, Roro''
''Tororo, Tororo, Roro'' is a coincidental meeting of two fellows from ''Man Talk, Woman Talk'', Tunji Oginni and Philomena James. Both run Hotel Kilimanjaro with different motives and a chance meeting between them elicits lessons as both share each other's problems.
=== Performances ===
First performed in Nigeria in 1968, ''The Gods Are Not to Blame'' was produced at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney, London, in 2005. Femi Elufowoju Jr had his first theatre experience in 1975, at the age of 11, when he saw a revival of this very play, performed in a reconstructed Greek amphitheatre at a university campus in Ife; and brought it to the UK shores as a British leading theatre director under the company name Tiata Fahodzi<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110612054939/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/preview-the-gods-are-not-to-blame-arcola-theatre-london-492111.html Charlotte Cripps, "Authentic rhythms of Africa"], ''The Independent'', May 2005.</ref>
His last production was a staging of ''Man Talk, Woman Talk'' at the French Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. He also produced ''Tororo Tororo roro'', a play of the Absurd, as a convocation play.
=== Textual sources ===
== Style ==
For ''Man Talk, Woman Talk'', directorial approach must have fluidity which will allow for creativity of the actors. The technicalities of the stage should be carefully applied in such a way that they will kill expected boredom associated with court scenes for if not done, the whole dramatic in the act will be flattened out. It might do the play a favour if it is given the kind of approach Ola Rotimi himself used in the directing of the premiere of the play. It is the technique that allows a kind of participatory interaction; the one that accommodates the audience contribution.
== Awards ==
Rotimi was awarded two Fulbright Scholarships<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Fashagba|first1=Joseph Yinka|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQGSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR9 |title=The Nigerian National Assembly|last2=Ajayi|first2=Ola-Rotimi Matthew|last3=Nwankwor|first3=Chiedo|date=2019-04-11|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-030-11905-8|language=en}}</ref>
== List of works ==
Books that contain his significant contributions (see notes for more information) are marked with a percentage(%); Conference publications are marked with an asterisk (*); thesis or dissertations are marked with a dagger (†) below.
{{div col}}
; Plays and literature
*''Kurunmi''<ref name=kurunmi group=nb/> *''The Gods Are Not to Blame''<ref name=GANtB group=nb/> *''Ovọnramwẹn Nọgbaisi''<ref name=OvN group=nb/> *''Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again''<ref name=OHHGMA group=nb/> *''Holding Talks''<ref name=HT group=nb/> *''If: A Tragedy of the ruled''<ref name=If group=nb/> *''Understanding "The Gods Are Not to Blame"''<ref name=Understanding group=nb/> *''Hopes of the Living Dead''<ref name=Hopes group=nb/> *''Viandanti della storia''<ref name=VDS group=nb/>% *''African Dramatic Literature'' *''Playwriting and Directing in Nigeria'' *''The Epilogue''<ref name=Epilogue group=nb/>
; Books, essays and political commentary
<u>Books</u>
*''A Dictionary of Nigerian Pidgin English: with an introductory survey of the history, linguistics and socio-literary functions'' *''Introduction to Nigerian literature''<ref name=INL group=nb/>% *''The Living Culture of Nigeria''<ref name=TLCN group=nb/>% *''A translation of the play "The Gods Are Not to Blame" into Setswana''<ref name=TGANTB group=nb/>† *''Statement towards August '83-''<ref name=STA83 group=nb/> *''The Masquerade in Nigerian history and culture''<ref name=Masq group=nb/>*% *''An interview (1975) with Ola Rotimi, senior research fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ifẹ, Ile Ifẹ''<ref name=Interview group=nb/> *''Diversity of Creativity in Nigeria''* *''African Theatre in Performance''% *''Akassa you mi'' *''Issues in African Theatre''
<u>Articles</u>
*"Conversation with Ola Rotimi" *"How the kingfisher learned fear" *"Review of: Kiabàrà: Journal of the Humanities 1" (June 1978) *"Through whom the spirits breathe" *"The trials of African literature" *"Everyone his/her own problem" *"No direction home"
; Archival material and ebooks
<u>Archival material</u>
*''Papers''<ref name=papers group=nb/>* *''African Papers, 1963, 1968–1989'' *''Gbe'ku De:pièce en 1 acte''
<u>ebooks</u>
*''Initiation into Madness'' *''Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again'' *''If'' *''Holding Talks'' *''Hopes of the Living Dead'' *''Grip Am'' *''Akassa you mi'' *''Kurunmi'' *''Ovonramwen Nogbaisi''
{{div col end}} In 2015 Society of Young Nigerian Writers under the leadership of Wole Adedoyin founded Ola Rotimi Literary Society(www.olarotimiliterarysociety.blogspot.com) aim at promoting and reading the works of Ola Rotimi.
== See also ==
*Lace Occasional Publications, Vol.1, No.3 (23 June 1984), Theatre Department, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
== Notes == {{Reflist|colwidth=30em|group=nb|refs= <ref name=M.A.>He received professional training as a dramatist at Yale under John Gassner, one of America's distinguished dramatic critics, and Jack Landau, a professional New York director. [http://www.bookrags.com/biography/emmanuel-gladstone-olawale-rotimi-dlb/2.html Dictionary of Literary Biography: Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi (p. 2)]</ref>
<ref name=project-play>His graduate project-play was declared "Yale University's Student Play of the Year".[http://www.olarotimifoundation.org/biography.html Olarotimi Foundation]</ref>
<ref name=papers>Organized by the Institute of African Studies, University of Ife "in collaboration with the Dept. of English (ed Conference papers). Rotimi's contribution was a 13-page paper sub-titled "Trends in the Nigerian drama"</ref>
<ref name=kurunmi>[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0196460409 Kurumi: ''An Historical Tragedy''], Ibadan, Nigeria: Oxford University Press, 1971. {{ISBN|0-19-646040-9}}</ref>
<ref name=GANtB>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0192113585 ''The Gods Are Not to Blame'' (Three Crowns)] (paperback), London: Oxford University Press, 1971. {{ISBN|0-19-211358-5}}</ref>
<ref name=INL>Bruce King, [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0841901112 ''Introduction to Nigerian Literature''] (hardcover), New York: Africana Pub. Corp., 1972, 1971. {{ISBN|0-8419-0111-2}}. Rotimi's contribution was contextual material relating to traditional Nigerian drama.</ref>
<ref name=OvN>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195752333 ''Ovọnramwẹn Nọgbaisi: An Historical Tragedy in English''], Benin City, Nigeria: Ethiope Pub. Corp., 1974. {{ISBN|0-19-575233-3}}</ref>
<ref name=TLCN>Saburi O. Biobaku, [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0175442010 ''The Living Culture of Nigeria''], Lagos: T. Nelson Publishers, 1976. {{ISBN|0-17-544201-0}}</ref>
<ref name=OHHGMA>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/9781540036 ''Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again''] (paperback), University Press PLC, Nigeria, 1977, 1999. {{ISBN|978-154-003-6}}</ref>
<ref name=HT>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/978154497X ''Holding Talks: An absurdist drama''], Ibadan, Nigeria: Oxford University Press, 1979. {{ISBN|978-154-497-X}}</ref>
<ref name=TGANTB>Thandie Lerato Pilane, Ola Rotimi, University of Botswana: Thesis (B.A.) University of Botswana, Gaborone, 1979.</ref>
<ref name=STA83>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/9782321419 Statements towards August '83], Kurunmi Adventures, Lagos, 1983. {{ISBN|978-2321-41-9}}</ref>
<ref name=Masq>Nwanna Nzewunwa (chief editor): sponsored by the University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 1980 (Conference papers). Rotimi's contribution was an 18-page paper sub-titled "Through whom the spirits breathe".</ref>
<ref name=If>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/9781291400 ''If: A Tragedy of the Ruled''] (paperback), Ibadan, Nigeria: Heinemann Educational Books, 1983. {{ISBN|978-129-140-0}}</ref>
<ref name=Understanding>Ola Rotimi & C. Maduka: A detailed interview with Ola Rotimi on his award-winning tragedy "The Gods Are Not to Blame", Kurunmi Adventures, Lagos, 1984. {{ISBN|978-2321-42-7}}</ref>
<ref name=Interview>Ola Rotimi & Dapọ Adelugba (editor): LACE occasional publications v. 1, no. 3, Dept. of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1984.</ref>
<ref name=Hopes>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/9782460133 ''Hopes of the Living Dead: a drama of struggle''], Ibadan, Nigeria: Spectrum Books, 1988. {{ISBN|978-2460-13-3}}</ref>
<ref name=VDS>Series II lato dell'ombra. 24: Chinua Achebe (Author); Itala Vivan; Ola Rotimi & Franca Cavagnoli (Author), Lavoro, Roma, 1991.</ref>
<ref name=Epilogue>Effiok Bassey Uwatt (editor), [https://www.amazon.com/dp/9784804573 The Epilogue: ''Two Unpublished Plays of Ola Rotimi''], (''Man Talk, Woman Talk'' & ''Tororo, Tororo Ro-ro''), Lagos: Apex Books, 2007. {{ISBN|978-48045-7-3}}</ref> }}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Relevant literature== *Adegbite, Wale. "Pragmatic tactics in diplomatic communication: a case study of Ola Rotimi's Ovonramwen Nogbaisi." ''Journal of pragmatics'' 37, no. 9 (2005): 1457-1480. *ANIGBOGU, Ngozi Chidinma, and Festus C. AHIZIH. "LANGUAGE USE IN OLA ROTIMI’S'THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME'." ''Socialscientia: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities'' 5, no. 1 (2020): 28-41. *Apuke, Oberiri Destiny. "Thematic Analysis/Review of Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame." ''Studies in Literature and Language'' 13, no. 5 (2016): 11-13. *Jegede, Olusegun Oladele and Eniola Omotayo Osoba. 2019. The Pragmatics of Proverbs in Ola Rotimi’s Kurunmi. ''Bulletin of Advanced English Studies'' 3(2)2019, 92-100. [https://www.refaad.com/Files/BAES/BAES-3-2-4.pdf Open access] *Monye, Ambrose. "The Use of Proverbs in Ola Rotimi's' The Gods are not to Blame'." ''Proverbium'' 12 (1995): 251-61. *Nutsukpo, Margaret Fafa. "Beyond Adaptation: The Representation of Women in Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not To Blame." International Journal 9, no. 2 (2019). *Odebunmi, Akin. "Pragmatic functions of crisis-motivated proverbs in Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not to Blame." (2008). ''Linguistik Online'' 33, 1/08. *Ola, V. U. "The Concept of Tragedy in Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not to Blame." ''Okike'' 22 (1982): 23-31. *Owoeye, Omolara Kikelomo, and Samuel Ayodele Dada. "A demographic analysis of proverbs in Rotimis historical tragedies." ''US-China Foreign Language'' 10 (2012): 1599-1607. *Simpson, Michael. "The Curse of the Canon: Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame." ''Classics in Post-Colonial Worlds'' (2007): 86ff *Zakariyah, Moshood. 2016. ''A Pragmatic Analysis of Proverbs in Selected Works of Ola Rotimi''. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria: Doctoral dissertation.
==External links== {{wikiquote}} * Bookrags Staff, [http://www.bookrags.com/biography/emmanuel-gladstone-olawale-rotimi-dlb/2.html ''(Emmanuel) (Gladstone) Ola(wale) Rotimi''], 2005. Retrieved 2011-02-19. *[https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/a-study-of-nigerian-dramatist-ola-rotimi-english-literature-essay.php A study of Nigerian dramatist Ola Rotimi]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotimi, Ola}} Category:Nigerian dramatists and playwrights Category:Nigerian male novelists Category:Nigerian satirical dramatists and playwrights Category:Yoruba dramatists and playwrights Category:Yoruba novelists Category:People from Osun State Category:DePauw University people Category:Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni Category:David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni Category:1938 births Category:2000 deaths Category:20th-century Nigerian novelists Category:Nigerian expatriate academics in the United States Category:Academic staff of Obafemi Awolowo University Category:English-language Nigerian writers Category:20th-century Nigerian dramatists and playwrights Category:Methodist Boys' High School alumni Category:Ijaw people Category:Academic staff of the University of Port Harcourt Category:Yoruba academics Category:Nigerian theatre directors Category:International Writing Program alumni Category:20th-century Nigerian male writers Category:Macalester College faculty Category:Nigerian academics Category:Nigerian expatriates in the United States Category:Nigerian literary critics