Hubert Ogunde

Hubert Ogunde was a famous man in Nigeria. He loved to make plays. He started a big group for acting.

His plays had music and dance. The actors sang their lines. He wrote over 50 stories.

He used many kinds of music. He used tools from many lands. He even made films later.

Some of his plays were about real life. They showed how people lived. Some stories were about politics.

He was a very important leader. People call him a father of theatre. He helped change how plays are made.

Hubert Ogunde was a famous man from Nigeria. Many people call him the father of Yoruba theatre. This means he helped start modern professional acting in his land. He was an actor, a writer, and a musician.

In 1945, he started a group called the African Music Research Party. Later, he changed the name to Ogunde Theater. He wrote more than 50 plays. Most of his plays used dance and music. His shows were special because they used realism. This means the acting looked like real life.

He also used new ways to show his work. He used posters and ads to tell people about his shows. He even used a special stage with a frame. His plays often talked about real things in the world. Some plays were about politics. One play, Yoruba Ronu, was about local leaders. It was so bold that it was banned for two years.

Later in life, Ogunde made films too. He made movies like Aiye. He even acted in a movie called Mister Johnson. He spent his whole life making art for people to see.

Hubert Ogunde was a legendary figure from Nigeria. Many people call him the father of modern Yoruba theatre. He was a talented actor, playwright, and musician. He also managed his own professional theatre companies. Ogunde changed the way stories were told in his country. He moved theatre from small groups to a professional business.

His shows were exciting to watch and hear. They used a mix of dramatic action, dance, and music. Most of his plays used realism. This means the acting looked like real life. He also used a special stage called a proscenium. This stage has a frame around it like a window. He used posters and ads to tell people about his shows. This helped his work reach many more people.

Ogunde's journey into art began quite early. He was born in Ososa, Nigeria, to Jeremiah and Eunice Ogunde. His father was a Baptist pastor. His grandfather was a priest of Ifa, a traditional religion. Because of this, Ogunde grew up with both Christian and traditional influences. He even joined a group called Egun Alarinjo in school. Later, he worked as a teacher and a church organist.

In 1945, he started the African Music Research Party. This was the first professional theatre company in Yorubaland. He later changed its name several times. It became the Ogunde Theater Party in 1947. In 1950, it was called the Ogunde Concert Party. Finally, in 1960, it became Ogunde Theater. He wrote over 50 plays during his long career. Some plays, like Tiger's Empire, were very important. They were the first to feature professional women as artists.

Ogunde's work often touched on serious political topics. His play Yoruba Ronu was about leaders in Western Nigeria. This play was so bold that it was banned for two years. The ban ended on February 4, 1966, under a new government. Later in life, Ogunde moved into making films. He co-produced the film Aiye in 1979. He even acted in the movie Mister Johnson in 1990. His life showed how art can reflect the world.

Hubert Ogunde was a transformative figure in Nigerian history. He is often called the father of modern Yoruba theatre. Ogunde was a prolific playwright, actor, and musician. He also served as a dedicated theatre manager. He founded the first professional contemporary theatrical company in Nigeria. This company began as the African Music Research Party in 1945. Over time, he changed its name several times. It became the Ogunde Theater Party in 1947. In 1950, it was renamed the Ogunde Concert Party. By 1960, it was simply known as Ogunde Theater. This name remained until his death in 1990.

Ogunde's career was defined by a unique way of performing. His plays were more than just stories. They were complex productions involving dramatic action, dance, and music. He introduced a style called realism to his acting. This made the performances feel more like real life. He also changed the physical stage used by performers. Instead of the round stages used by older groups, he used a proscenium. A proscenium is a stage with a frame that looks like a window. He also used modern promotion like posters and advertisements. This helped him move theatre from a local custom to a professional business.

His upbringing provided a rich foundation for his art. Ogunde was born in Ososa, Nigeria, to Jeremiah and Eunice Ogunde. His father was a Baptist pastor. His maternal grandfather was a priest of Ifa, a traditional African religion. Because of this, Ogunde grew up with both Christian and traditional Yoruba influences. He attended several schools between 1925 and 1932. His first contact with performance was with a group called Egun Alarinjo. Before becoming a full-time artist, he worked as a teacher and a church organist. He also served in the Nigerian police force starting in 1941.

Ogunde's early plays often had religious themes. His first production was a play called The Garden of Eden. It premiered at Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos in 1944. This play was financed by a church to help raise money for a building fund. He wrote several other religious operas, such as Africa and God in 1944. He also produced Israel in Egypt and Nebuchadnezzar's Reign in 1945. These early works were known as folk operas. In these shows, the actors often sang their lines with very little spoken dialogue.

As his career progressed, Ogunde moved toward political and social themes. He wrote many plays that were nationalistic or anti-colonial. For example, his 1946 play Tiger's Empire attacked colonial rule. This play was also important for gender equality in theatre. It was the first time Yoruba theatre billed women as professional artists. He also wrote plays about labor movements, such as Strike and Hunger in 1945. In the 1950s, he began to use more spoken dialogue. He also introduced the English language into his plays to reach more people. He even combined traditional dances with Western styles like the waltz and tap dance.

His bold storytelling sometimes led to serious conflict with leaders. In 1964, he produced a play called Yoruba Ronu, which means "Yoruba Think." This play was a satire about political strife in Western Nigeria. It was so controversial that it caused a political reaction. Chief Akintola, a leader in the Western Region, walked out during a performance. As a result, the Ogunde Theater was banned in the Western Region for two years. This ban lasted from 1964 until February 4, 1966. This was when the ban was finally revoked by the military government of Lt. Col. F. A. Fajuyi.

In his later years, Ogunde expanded into the world of film. He was inspired by the success of early Yoruba feature-length films. In 1979, he co-produced his first celluloid film, titled Aiye. He followed this with other films like Jaiyesimi and Ayanmo. These movies were often influenced by Yoruba mysticism. His career even reached international screens. In 1990, he starred in the motion picture Mister Johnson. This movie featured the actor Pierce Brosnan and was filmed in Toro, Nigeria. Ogunde's long life of work left a lasting mark on Nigerian culture.