Ghana Celebrates World Theatre Day

Celebrated Ghanaian playwright, Latif Abubakar, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Globe Production, last Sunday staged a play titled ‘Oman Yi Y3 Wo Man’, which featured some top actors and actresses to celebrate this year’s World Theatre Day.

Performed at the Black Star Square in Accra, ‘Oman Yi Y3 Wo Man’ tells the story of the role of different cultures in maintaining peace.

The play touched on how theatre productions mirrored happenings in society, and urged creative arts stakeholders to consider instilling the love of theatre in basic school pupils. It also called on government to invest in the theatre sector to help preserve the Ghanaian culture.

The cast included Naa Ashorkor, Fred Amugi, DKB, Gloria Sarfo, Edinam Atatsi, Jackie Ankrah, Fiifi Coleman, Ekow Blankson and a host of others.

It was graced by a number of personalities which include Mr. Diallo Abdouradamane, UNESCO’s Country Representative, the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Javier Gutiérrez, among others.

The Chief Executive Officer of Globe Productions thanked the participants and patrons for their presence and making the commemoration of World Theatre Day a success.

He noted that the government should create a policy that would institutionalise theatre, and make it part and parcel of what the country is as a nation.

Mr. Abdourahamane Diallo on his part commended Globe Productions for putting up such an event to celebrate World Theatre Day, adding that, “Culture is who we are, and things like this play important roles in preserving it.”

The Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Javier Gutiérrez, said theatre was an important tool for fighting against injustice and also makes the world a better place.

He said his outfit was poised to aid the progress of theatre in the country as they last year staged the Flamenco show at the National Theatre to aid culture exchange between Ghana and Spain.

The World Theatre Day (WTD), initiated by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) in 1961, has been celebrated since 1962 as an annual global celebration that fosters the values of theatre as an art form.

The day is also set aside to commemorate the art form “theatre”, which is celebrated by ITI centres, cooperating members, theatre professionals, universities, organisations and enthusiasts.

BY George Clifford Owusu