Women of Owu explained

Women of Owu
Author:Femi Osofisan
Country:Nigeria
Language:English
Genre:Drama
Published:2006
Publisher:University Press PLC
Media Type:Print
Pages:78
Isbn:978-978-069-026-7

Women of Owu is a 2006 drama written by Femi Osofisan and published through University Press PLC.[1] Adapted from Euripides' 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.[2]

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.[3] The relationship between Women of Owu and The Trojan Women has been explored by Olakunbi Olasope.[4]

Characters

Productions

The play premiered at The Theatre Chipping Norton in February 2004 and then embarked on an English and Scottish tour.

Themes

Some dominant themes evident in the play include:

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

Notes and References

  1. News: Review: The Women of Owu. BBC. Hummer. George. 3 February 2004. 2 November 2015.
  2. News: For Women of Owu. The Nation Newspaper. Udeze. Edozie. 8 June 2014. 2 November 2015.
  3. News: Endless agonies of Women of Owu. The Nation Newspaper. 26 October 2014. 2 November 2015.
  4. Olasope. Olakunbi. 2012. To Sack a City or to Breach a Woman's Chastity: Euripides' Trojan Women and Osofisan's Women of Owu. African Performance Review, Journal of African Theatre Association UK. 6. 1 . 111–121.