By Wole Balogun, Ph.D
As the students of Theatre and Media Arts’ Department of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE),.performed the stage adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s novel, Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, recently, one is reminded that Chauvinism, arrogantly exhibited by most African men, is equal to foolishness.
In the world of the play, Baba Segi, the protagonist, sets the stage for his doom when he acquires women in the same manner one purchases a product with which he wishes to gratify his inordinate desires. He amasses three illiterate women, one of whom he married because her parents could not repay the loan he gives them for her uncompleted education. Baba Segi’s success as a business man goads him further into plunging into an unthoughtful polygamous feat that spells his doom.
Coupled with his unenlightened and uneducated nature, Baba Segi commits more mistakes with women and woos educated Bolanle who agrees to marry him partly to cover up her inability to mother a child due to an harmful abortion she did earlier which severed her womb. Bolanle equally falls in love with Baba Segi because of his caring, generous and gentle nature.
However, Baba Segi’s home is a battle ground among recalcitrant and immoral wives who scheme mischievously to gain better attention of the unsuspecting patriarch of the house. Unknown to him, Baba Segi is incapable of fathering a child as his amorous lifestyle has fetched him several Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) which culminate into low sperm count even before he begins to “acquire” his wives one after the other.
Unfortunately for him, his first three unfaithful wives resorted to getting help from his personal assistant, Tajudeen, and having children through him for Baba Segi.
The bubble bursts when educated Bolanle gets into the picture and prevails on Baba Segi to visit the hospital with her for some medical check ups to solve the problem of childlessness between them. The medical check up exposes a grand treachery orchestrated by Baba Segi’s earlier three wives by disclosing that he has low sperm count and couldn’t have been the father of the children his wives claimed belong to him.
A terribly angry Baba Segi makes his three wives to confess their crime just as Bolanle’s grand secret of not being able to mother a child is revealed, resulting into a kamal orchestrated doom for all parties. Bolanle bids a painful farewell to his marriage to Baba Segi as he accepts his fate with the three treacherous but repentant wives. Tajudeen is shown the way out of their lives and becomes the ultimate loser in the game of treachery and male chauvinism.
The student actors did an excellent job in depicting the satiric elements that make the play thick, refreshing, expository, educating and thrilling. They include..Oluwatosin Ayooluwa(Baba Segi),Peter Help(Iya Segi), Rebecca ( Bolanle), Agbemoroti Opeyemi( Iya Femi),Adedayo Deborah ( Iya Tope), Ibrahim Akorede(Taju), Onefeli Justina( Iya Bolanle)and Uche Ifeoma( Doctor).
The crew also include..Oduniyi Ifeoluwa(Artistic Director), Faleye Ewawumi(Choreographer/Music director), Eze Hope( Stage Manager), Ademilua Covenant (Media Director and Publicist), Gbadebo Kayode( Business Manager), Akinlade Adedayo(House Manager), Ilesanmi Mary(Props Manager), Sogunle Oluwanifemi( Production Manager), Iduje Precious(Set/Light Designer), Archibong Promise( Costumier), Friday Promise( Dramaturge).
Astute Coordinators, assigned by the management of the Department , including the HOD, Dr. (Mrs.) Tume worked with all the students’ groups in realizing great performance artistically.
