Ọláwálé Gladstone Emmanuel Rótìmí tí a mọ̀ sí Olú Rótìmí (13 Oṣù kẹrin 1938 – 18 Oṣù  kẹjọ  2000),[1] jẹ́ ògbóńta  olùkọ̀tàn, ọmọ orìlé èdè Nàìjírìà àti olùdarí tíátà . Wọn a má pèé ní "Okùnrin oní tíátà tí kò lábàwọń –òṣèré, olùdarí , onijo kòríógíráfì, àti oníṣẹ́-ọnà – tí ó ṣe àyè iṣẹ́, tí ọnà  kópa ní ìgbésí ayé rẹ̀".[2].Ola Rotimi ni ko iwe The Gods are not to blame

Ọlá Ròtìmí
Ọjọ́ ìbíỌláwálé Gladstone Emmanuel Ròtìmí
(1938-04-13)13 Oṣù Kẹrin 1938
Sapele, Delta State, Nàìjíríà
Ọjọ́ aláìsí18 August 2000(2000-08-18) (ọmọ ọdún 62)
Iṣẹ́Playwright, director. head of department of creative arts at the University of Port Harcourt, Lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria; has also served as visiting professor, playwright, and director in Germany and Italy, as well as at DePauw University and Wabash College.
Ọmọ orílẹ̀-èdèNàìjíríà
Ìgbà1938–2000
Notable worksThe Gods Are Not To Blame, Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, and The Epilogue
Ère Ọ̀jọ̀gbọ́n Ola Rotimi

Ìgbésíayé àtúnṣe

Ìgbà èwe rẹ̀ àtúnṣe

Rotimi jẹ́ ọmọ Samuel Gladstone Enitan Rotimi, ọmọ yorùbá ẹlẹ́rọ tí àwọn òyìnbó ń pè ní "steam-launch engineer" (ó jẹ́ olùdarí àti alagbéjáde àwọn òṣèré tí kò tí ì dí ògbóntà) àti Dorcas Adolae Oruene Addo, ọmọ Ijaw tí ó fẹ́ran eré ìtàgé. Wọ́n bíi sí ìlú Sapele ní Nàìjíría; Onírúúru àṣà ni àkòrí iṣẹ́ rẹ̀. Ó lọ sí ilé ìwé Cyprian ni ìlú Port Harcourt láti ọdún 1945 sí 1949, ilé ìwé St Jude láti ọdún 1951 sí 1952 àti ilé ìwé Methodist Boys High School ní ilú Èkó, kí ó tó rìriǹàjò lọ sí United States ni ọdún 1959 lati kọ́ ẹ̀kọ́ ni Boston University, níbi tí ó ti gba oyè àkọ́kọ́ ní áàtì (B A). Ní ọdún 1965, ó fẹ́ aràbìrin Hazel Mae Guadreau, tí ó kọ́kọ́ wá lati Gloucester; Hazel kàwé ní Boston University, níbi tí ó ti kọ́ ẹ̀kó ijó, ohún àti orin. Ní ọdún 1966, Olá gba oyè kejì (MA) lati ilé ìwé Yale School of Drama,níbi tí ó tí olùkọ́ eré kíkọ eré lítíréṣò.

Iṣẹ́ tíátà àtúnṣe

Rotimi ma ń ṣàyẹ̀wò ìtàn Nàíjíríà àti àṣ̀à nínú irẹ́ rẹ̀. Wọn ṣe àfifàn eré rẹ̀ àkọ́kọ́, To Stir the God of Iron (gbejade ní  1963) àti Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again (gbejade ní 1966; tẹjade ní 1977) ní ilé ẹ̀kọ́ orí ìtàgé ti Boston University àti Yale University.

Lẹyìn ọ̀pọ̀ Odún àtúnṣe

Nígbàtí ó padá sí Nàìjíríà ní bíi 1960, ṣisẹ́ olùkọ́ ni Yunifàsíti Ifẹ̀ ti wọ́n ń pè ní Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólòwọ̀ Yunifásit̀ì nísìn, níbi tí ó tí dà ilé iṣẹ́ Olokun Acting Company[3] àti Port Harcourt sílẹ̀. Lápákan, nítoní ètò òṣèlú  Nàìjíríà, Rotimi lo púpọ̀ nínu 1990s ẹ́ ní Caribbean àti United States, níbi ti ó ti kọ́ akẹkọ ní ilé ìwé Macalester College ní St. Paul, ní Minnesota. Ni odún 2000, ó padà sí Ilè Ifẹ̀, ó darapọ̀ ẹ̀ka èkọ́ Ọbáfẹ́mi Awólòwọ̀ Yunifásit̀ì níbí tí ó tí ṣisẹ́ olùkọ́ tí ó fi kú. Hazel (ìyàwó rẹ́) kú ní Oṣù karun odún 2000, oṣù díẹ sí ìgbà tí Rotimi kú.

Àwọn eré tí ó ṣe ní The Gods Are Not to Blame (gbejade 1968; tẹ̀jade 1971), àtúnsọ Sophocles Oedipus the King, Kurunmi and the Prodigal (gbejade 1969; tẹ̀jade bíi Kurunmi, 1971), tí ó kọ fún Ife Festival of Arts; Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (gbejade 1971;tẹ̀jade 1974), nípa Oba Benin empire; àti Holding Talks (1979).

Lẹ́yìn ìgbà náà, wọ́n ṣe àfihàn àwọn eré :A Tragedy of the Ruled (1983) àti Hopes of the Living Dead (1988), tó ṣe ní University of Port Harcourt, ó jẹ́ eré tó gbòpò ní ẹ̀ka tíátà OAU. Radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem diàtẹjade ní odún 1987. Ìwé rẹ̀, African Dramatic Literature: To Be or to Become? di titejade ní odún 1991

Àwọn eré rẹ̀ àtúnṣe

  • (1963) To Stir the God of Iron
  • (1966) Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again—depicts the cocoa farmer and businessman Lejoka-Brown as a self-seeking, opportunistic leader who could make better contributions to his country outside of the political arena.
  • (1968) The Gods Are Not To Blame—an adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex; the main character gets trapped by pride, ignorance and the caprices of the divinities.
  • (1969) Kurunmi
  • (1970) Holding Talks
  • (1971) Ovonramven Nogbaisi—the title character simply luxuriates in the grandeur of his office. Although he is a custodian of culture who inspires people, he does not actively participate in their struggles.
  • (1973) Grip Am
  • (1973) Invitation into Madness
  • (1977) Akassa Youmi*
  • (1979) If: A Tragedy of the Ruled—in If, the young firebrand Hamidu is nowhere to be found when a real commitment is required.
  • (1985) Hopes of The Living Dead—Rotimi here depicts a different kind of leader: a selfless, result-oriented, committed leadership complemented by a followership that believes in the good of the generality of its members through the application of itself to the cause that is beneficial.
  • When the Criminals Become Judges

Ìtọ́kasí àtúnṣe

  1. "Ola Rotimi", in Hans M. Zell, Carol Bundy, Virginia Coulon, A New Reader's Guide to African Literature, Heinemann Educational Books, 1983, p. 474.
  2. Martin Banham, Obituary: "Ola Rotimi – Playwright who put Nigeria's dramas on the stage", The Guardian, 17 October 2000.
  3. "Rotimi, Ola", in Martin Banham, Errol Hill & George Woodyard (eds), The Cambridge Guide to African & Caribbean Theatre, Cambridge University Press, 1994, p. 81.