The zeal of edutainment drama producer, Ayo Jaiyesimi, to make theatre inspire positive change in society is set to echo at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. In collaboration with her Thespian Family Theatre & Productions company, the Performing Arts Department of the university will on July 17 and 18 stage a play titled ‘All for Peace’. The play, which preaches environmental sanity in homes and neighbourhood, is directed by Zachariah Akinmoladun.
According to Jaiyesimi, the production is the second in the series of the plays that will be performed in 14 universities across the country, where Thespian is taking the advocacy. It is coming after a successful launch at the BOWEN University, Iwo, where the theatre outfit partnered the school. Rasaki Ojo-Bakare’s ‘Ekun Omi’ (When Water Cries) was successfully performed at BOWEN by its theatre students.
Head of Performing Arts Department at AAUA, Dr Abayomi Agboade Adegbamigbe, notes that ‘All for Peace’ is woven around a group of 16 off-campus students in Ogunlowo’s multi-tenanted ramshackle building located next to a canal. Aside its deplorable state of disrepair, only one toilet serves the entire house with a pipe channelling the waste directly to the canal. A number of events trigger a conflict that eventually gets resolved in favour of environmental sanity.
The play will be on stage on the campus, at the palace of the town’s monarch and in the market square, bringing to memory the communal and travelling traditional theatre concept in Africa.
Jaiyesimi, who has enormously contributed to the resurgence of live theatre in the country, says the Komuniti Project also be at Dennis Osadebe University, Osun State University, Lagos State University, Ojo and Imo State University.
Also hosting the train are Ekiti State University, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kaduna State University, Kogi State University, University of Abuja, University of Port Harcourt, University of Lafia and University of Lokoja.
Jaiyesimi notes in a statement: “For over 20 years, THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions has been dedicated to using visual storytelling to drive social and behavioral change through community-focused initiatives. This season, our spotlight is on the environment, a critical issue that demands attention. We are aligning our focus with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and zeroing in on SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 14, and 15.
“The environment plays a vital role in our lives, and it is our responsibility to care for it and maintain ecological balance. Despite measures and propaganda, apathy remains a significant challenge. Therefore, we have taken a personal approach to address this issue. We are engaging with the community and community groups through workshops, readings, stage plays, competitions, and roadshows to reinforce government efforts and global interventions.”
