Stagecraft Studios and stage production will be staging Ola Rotimi’s popular drama, Kurunmi, to the public on June 13 and 14, at Alliance Française Ikoyi, by 11:00am, 3:00pm and 6:00pm daily. There will be three shows per day and on July 20 and 21, the train will move to the hub of creativity, Terra Kulture, for the same performance at 3:00pm and 6:00pm for the two days.
Popular actor, Tunji Sotimirin, who is playing multiple roles in the play, said at the media briefing unveiling the performance, “the play Kurunmi is a narrative that explores the subject of how you tenaciously hold on to what you believe in, culture in this case and patriotism.”
Sotimirin said, “no matter where you go, home is home, tradition is tradition and we must continue to build on it until the younger ones who are coming behind can learn from past mistakes and our issues can be resolve as a people, as allowing external forces to penetrate into our culture will be dangerous.”
He enjoined all to, “come and learn the Yoruba culture, African tradition, our music, the traditional, political system and more,” said, Sotimirin.
Director of the play, Muyideen Oladapo, simply known as Lala, said though Kurunmi is a popular play that many know but they are staging it because of what is happening in our society.
According to Lala, “the same thing keeps repeating itself, we need changes. While one part is fighting for changes, another is fighting that the tradition must remain and we are not seeing changes, the way our fathers lived their lives cannot be compared to how we are living now so things must change with time.”
Production Manager of the play, Michelle Adegbola said, renowned playwright never stopped telling the African story of African tradition and why it is important for Africans to know their traditions, who they are, what they stand for, where they are coming from and where we are going, “this play is very important, we can even relate it to our current situation.”
Adegbola added, “if we need to tell a story that will change the narrative, we need to start from the young ones, therefore, we intend to have conversations with them during the shows so they see the need to not abandon their heritage.”
The 11:00am show is targeted at students in general because the purpose of the story is to change the narrative, especially with the younger generation.
The Executive Director of the production, Gbenga Akosile said he picked Kurunmi, among many others, because “the story can be related to our present society.”
The producers promise there will be lots of entertainment and good rendition in the manner Rotimi has constructed the language, which is the language of the common people, rooted in proverbs.
