''Women of Owu'' is a 2006 drama written by
Femi Osofisan
Babafemi Adeyemi Osofisan (born June 16, 1946), known as Femi Osofisan or F.O., is a Nigerian writer noted for his critique of societal problems and his use of African traditional performances and surrealism in some of his plays.
A frequent theme ...
and published through University Press PLC. Adapted from
Euripides
Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...
' ''
The Trojan Women'', the book uses the combination of choruses, songs and dance to depict the history of the population of
Owu kingdom after a combined military force of
Ife,
Oyo and
Ijebu invaded the city of Owu for seven years killing all of its male inhabitants and children.
Plot
''Women of Owu'' focuses on the aftermath of a 19th-century war-torn Owu Kingdom. It reflects on the pains, depression and agony of the survivors who were only women after the killing of all males in the kingdom by the combined forces of Ife, Oyo and Ijebu. The relationship between ''Women of Owu'' and ''The Trojan Women'' has been explored by
Olakunbi Olasope
Olakunbi Ojuolape Olasope is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. She is an expert on Roman social history, Greek and Roman theatre, and Yoruba classical performance culture. Olasope is known in parti ...
.
Characters
*Anlugbua
*Lawumi
*Erelu Afin
*Gesinde
*Orisaye
*Adumaadan
*Okunade The Maye
*Iyunloye
Productions
The play premiered at
The Theatre Chipping Norton
The Theatre Chipping Norton, sometimes The Theatre, Chipping Norton, is a theatre, cinema, gallery and music venue in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England.
The main auditorium was originally a Salvation Army citadel, built in 1888. After some y ...
in February 2004 and then embarked on an English and Scottish tour.
Themes
Some dominant themes evident in the play include:
* War and Violence
* Gender Roles and Power
* Resistance and Rebellion
* Trauma and Healing
* Religion and Spirituality
These themes are woven together to create a complex and nuanced exploration of the human experience in the context of war, oppression, and resistance.
Further reading
* Felix Budelmann, ''Trojan Women'' in Yorubaland: Femi Osofisan ''Women of Owu'', in Hardwick, Lorna and Carol Gillespie (eds.), ''Classics in Postcolonial Worlds'' (2007,
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
)
References
Nigerian non-fiction books
2006 non-fiction books
Modern adaptations of works by Euripides
{{Nigeria-book-stub