Emanuel Gladstone Olawale Rotimi
(1938 – 2000)
(AKA. Ola Rotimi) was born April 13th 1938, in Sapele, Nigeria, to Samuel Gladstone Enitan Rotimi and Dorcas Adolae Oruene Addo. Ola Rotimi became one of contemporary Africa’s leading playwrights and theater directors. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Boston University and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale. He earned the distinction of being a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in Playwriting and Dramatic Literature. His graduate project-play was declared “Yale University’s Student Play of the Year.”
The British Broadcasting Corporation twice commissioned him to write for its overseas broadcast. Playwright Rotimi has variously been Visiting Professor and Playwright/Director in Europe and the United States.
Twice a Fulbright Fellow, he also held the Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) from Wabash College, U.S.A.
For over two decades, he was a professor of playwriting, dramatic literature, and directing, as well as Head of Department and Dean of Faculty at two Nigerian universities. He was also the founder and artistic director of three theaters.
His publications include six full-length plays (two of them award-winning) and many scholarly articles on Theater and Drama.
He is featured in such reputable international records as the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Encyclopedia of World Authors, Cambridge Guide to World Theater, and the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who.
The Works of Ola Rotimi
- To Stir The God of Iron (1963)
- Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again (Produced 1966; Published 1977)
- The Gods Are Not To Blame (Produced 1968; Published 1971)
- Kurunmi (Produced 1969; Published 1971)
- Holding Talks (1970)
- Ovonramwen Nogbaisi
- Grip Am (1973)
- Initiation into Madness (1973)
- Akassa Youmi (1977)
- If: A Tragedy of the Ruled (1979)
- Hopes of the Living Dead (1985)
- When the Criminals Become Judges
- Man Talk, Woman Talk
- Tororo, Tororo, Roro
- A Dictionary of Pidgin English: with an introductory survey of the history, linguistics and socio-literary functions
“The universal appeal of African literature is evident in Rotimi’s plays. Rotimi skillfully translates important African life experience to the stage. This Foundation in his honor pledges to uphold the African Arts.”
Chinua Achebe
“Ola Rotimi’s works reveal the stories of Africa and the human condition. The Rotimi Foundation is the next generation to assume the indispensable responsibility of the Arts sharing the stories of Africa with all people.”
V.Y. Mudimbe