Ascension Productions Explores Youth Idealism on Stage

Funmi Ogundare

Ascension Productions, the entertainment arm of Ascension Ministry, weekend, thrilled the audience and held them spelled bound with a three-act play, titled ‘Shadows of The Ancestors’.

The stage play, written and directed by Onyechi Mbamali and Adeniran Makinde (F.T.A), respectively boasts of a powerful cast featuring veterans like Norbert Young and Gloria Anozie Young and starring Kevin Ushi, Albert Akaeze, Bukola Ogunnote, Ikponmwosa Gold, Inna Erizia, Stanley Okeke, Efe Mayford Orhorha, among others.

Held at Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, the play is a gripping tragedy that unravels the ugly pain of unguided youth idealism.

The playwright, Onyechi Mbamali explained that the story was written for youths, to show that young people may have the very best of intentions and idealism which is good, but if they fail to listen to the voice of reasoning, it may lead to their downfall.

“In fact, the youths are the only agents of real change. Sometimes, they also jump into the change mode without sufficient enquiry and if they are ready to listen to counsel of experience, they will do better. You can listen, hear and process, but to adopt an attitude of I don’t care, is wrong.

“So I have seen very brilliant people waste their lives and I thought particularly in our generation, we are not fair to the youths. We were brought up specially.

“The community invested in us. Every adult was a parent to every child as I was growing. Today, we are criminally negligent, we bring up our children in silos and expect them to know everything.”

Mbamali expressed hope that Nigeria will also begin to do that in its governance system by giving the best people the chance. However, he expressed concern that the theatre culture is dying in the country saying that the play was an effort towards reviving it.

The playwright disclosed that the proceeds of the entire production would go to various charities; widow groups, orphanages and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The Director of the play and Secretary General of National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Adeniran Makinde said directing the film is about expertise, knowing how and understanding the writer’s mind from the script.

“When you understand the casting and you get it right, 60 per cent of the job is done, and working with the actors in terms of interpretation. It is easy to talk your actors through that kind of knowledge, that is if they are good actors, ” he said.

‘Shadows of the Ancestors’ is a gripping tragedy that brings home the ugly pain of unguided youth idealism. It is a generational conflict of viewpoints, the spirited young versus the conservative old. Youth is typically radical, vibrant and so sweetly full of energies, but alas, its unbridled impatience with status quo is virtually a calamitous end foretold.