The African e-Journals Project has digitized full text of articles of eleven social science and humanities journals. This item is from the digital archive maintained by Michigan State University Library. Find more at: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/africanjournals/ Available through a partnership with Scroll down to read the article. Auntie Efua E CANNOT ON 21 JANUARY 1996, THE very humble and African world lost one of its difficult early life; most remarkable daughters of her eventual the 20th century: Dr. Efua greatness may be Theodora Sutherland. 'Auntie more of a personal Efua' is best known for her achievement than pioneering work as a cultural an inherited family visionary and activist, her fortune. Her young impact on society at once mother died in a comprehensive and enduring. lorry accident at Teacher, research scholar, poet, age 1 8, leaving 5- dramatist, and social worker, month old Efua in she devoted her life to the the care of her building of models of excellence grandmother in culture and education, and Araba Mansa, to the training of young people whose personal who would carry her vision sacrifice and into the far future. example of hard work as a baker Born in Cape Coast on 27 June ensured Efua's 1 924, she was named after her maternal survival and great-grandmother Nana Ama provided the Nyankomo Her father, Harry Peter single most Morgue from the family of Chief Moore of important impact Nsona Paado, Cape Coast, was a well- Theodora Sutherland known teacher of English who once taught on her later at Accra Academy Her mother, Harriet particularly the branch founded by Barima development into a most resourceful Efua Maria Parker, was from the royal Ansaful at Gyegyano, Cape Coast. personality. families of Gomua Brofo and Anomabu, Despite her royal birth, Efua had a Theodora Olivia Morgue, as Efua Afruan Quarterly en the Arts Veil I NO 3 became known, began her primary such society could be established. Like frequently cited projects, the Atwia education at the Government Girls School many others, she could have used her Experimental Community Theatre Project, and later moved to St. Monica's, both in considerable talents and skills in the is recognised world-wide as a pioneering Cape Coast. She took the Standard Seven promotion of a spectacular individual model for the now popular Theatre for examination while she was still in Standard career. Instead, she chose to share her Development. Araba: The Village Story is Six, and did so well she won a scholarship gifts with society at large by investing her a major documentary film done in 1 967 to the St. Monica's Training College at energies in the building of model by the American television network ABC Ansate Manpong. St Monica's was programmes and institutions, and in the to record the success of this unique founded and run by Anglican Sisters of training of a future generation. experimental project. the Order of the Holy Paraclete, based in Yorkshire, England. The nuns in both Efua Sutherland's reputation as the A particularly significant aspect of Cape Coast and Mampong had such founder and mother figure behind the Efua Sutherland's work was the Children's significant influence on the young Efua national theatre movement may best be Drama Development Project. This multi- that she seriously considered becoming a measured by the many key institutions year project focused on research into the nun and would have gone to England for and programmes she was instrumental in cultural life of children in society, used the convent training had her grandmother bringing into being. She was the prime information gathered as a basis for writing, not intervened. mover in the founding of the Ghana producing and publishing appropriate Society of Writers (1957). A year later, plays for children. Conferences, At 18, she began teaching at the Ghana Experimental Theatre workshops and test productions organised senior primary level but soon joined the Company was launched under her as part of this project have left us with an staff of St. Monica's Training College. In direction. She helped to found the important collection of plays for children, 1947, after five-and-half years of Okyeame literary magazine in 1961. among them R.A. Cantey's Ghana Motion, teaching, she went to England where she Through her pioneering research into Togbe Kwamuar's The Perpetual Stone studied for a B.A. degree at Homerton Ghanaian oral traditions, she introduced Mill, Kwamena Ampah's Hwe No Yie, College, Cambridge University. She spent onto the stage the unique dramatic form Koku Amuzu's The New Born Child and another year at the School of Oriental of Anansegoro, deriving its creative model the Maid Servant, JoeManu-Amponsah's and African Studies, London, specialising from traditional story-telling drama. To Gates to Mother, Kofi Hiheta's A Bench in English linguistics, African languages, provide an ideal rehearsal and of Chances, and Kofi Anyidoho;s and drama. Back in Ghana in 1950, she performance space for the emerging Akpokplo{Ewean<lEnglish). Regrettably, returned to St. Monica's but later national theatre movement, she mobilised the preparation of these plays for formal transferred to Fijar Secondary School funds and supervised the building of the publication in a major anthology is one of and then to Achimota School. Ghana Drama Studio, ensuring that its the many vital projects which Auntie Efua's design was in harmony with performance death has left unfinished. In 1954, Efua married William demands of African theatre practice. She Sutherland, an African American who founded Kusum Agoromba, 'a full-time The 25th Anniversary Programme had been living in Ghana and worked drama company based at the Drama of the Drama Studio, the final phase of from 1951 -57 to help found what is now Studio and dedicated to performing quality Efua Sutherland's distinguished career in Tsito Secondary School in the Volta plays in Akan.... in towns and villages all the national theatre movement, coincided Region. Efua spent part of the period in over the country.' She provided creative with her retirement from the University of Tsito to help with the foundation work. leadership to the Workers' Brigade Drama Ghana in 1984. The programme opened Efua and Bill had three children, Esi Group and to the Drama Studio Players. with an impressive and symbolic Reiter, Ralph Gynan, and Muriel Amowi, Ceremony of Remembrance and moved who have since become a university In May 1963, Efua Sutherland into a major documentation project research fellow, an architect, and a lawyer became a Research Associate of the covering various forms of drama that respectively. Institute of African Studies. As part of the have evolved as part of the national move, she handed over the Drama Studio theatre movement The 25th Anniversary It is against this family and to the University of Ghana to be issued as Programme, ironically, suffered a serious educational background that we. must 'an extension division of the School of set-back when the Drama Studio was assess the unusual impact of Efua Music, Dance and Drama.' Through the demolished to make way for the Sutherland's public life as educator, Drama Studio Programme and the Drama construction of the National Theatre. creative artist, and activist social visionary. Research Unit of the Institute, Efua Although Auntie Efua was deeply hurt by She is best known as a dramatist, but her Sutherland worked with the late Joe de the demolition of the studio, she continued work in this area was always informed by Graft and others to build the foundations to work over the next two years to bring a compelling vision of a better society, of what was soon to become a model the documentation programme to a and she chose appropriate cultural programme in drama and theatre studies reasonable completion. It was also in the education as the bestfoundation on which and practice in Africa One of her most final phase of her work that she gave to African Quarterly on the Am Vol.11 NO 5 Ghana and the African world probably Commission on Children. She was a selected Efua Sutherland as one of a small her grandest artistic vision for uplifting foundation member (1979-1983) and later group of eminent individuals whose and reuniting African peoples through the chairperson of the commission (1983- contribution has had a profound impact arts- an original proposal for the Pan 1990). The work of this commission, on the development of the university and African Historical Theatre Festival, the especially through the impact of child of the society at large: Panafest Movement. This final gift education programmes designed around underscores the significance she attached a national network of children's park- Efua Theodora Sutherland, for the to connections between Africa and the library complexes, the documentation of inspiration provided to the development Diaspora. She played a very critical role the situation of the Ghanaian child, and of the Dramatic Art, and in recognition in the establishment of the VV.E.B. DuBois the influencing of state policy on child life, of your efforts on behalf of children for Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture. shall remain one of Efua Sutherland's most whose benefit you have canvassed She belonged to an extensive global significant lasting gifts to her nation. children's libraries and amusement network of friends, many of them eminent parks, the University of Ghana is creative minds. Efua Sutherland served on several privileged to honour you with the other national and international boards degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris Efua Sutherland's long and and committees, including the Education causa.