KOLA OYEWO: AN ACTOR CUM DIRECTOR AFTER OLA ROTIMI- ADEWOYIN OLAWUNMI.M
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Chief Gabriel Adekola Benedict Oyewo popularly known as Kola Oyewo is a hybrid theatre product in town and gown. He combines his nine years experience of active participation in the productions of OyinAdejobi Theatre with the training he received at the Ori-Olokun Theatre (now Awo Varsity Theatre) under Ola Rotimi. He has also worked under Wole Soyinka, Femi Osofisan and many other directors as a member of the ObafemiAwolowo University Theatre. The Oba-Ile born veteran actor, director, associate professor and acting head of department of the Redeemer’s University, Ogun state who was recently honored with the chieftaincy title of BalogunofOba-Ile spoke with SUCCESS DIGEST about his foray into lecturing, his role as a title-holder and his career among other things.
In the beginning
Acting has been a part of me since my elementary years in primary and secondary school. Our teachers in primary school taught us plays which we will use in entertaining our parents at the end of the session. On getting to Secondary Modern School, I joined the Oba Dramatic Society founded in 1961 by uncleKunleOlaniyan. During the long vacation, he would gather all us together and teach us plays that he came across, after which we would perform in Oba and other neighboring towns and villages. Ever since, the passion for being on stage has been there.
Early theatre experiences
After I left Secondary Modern School in December 1963, I stumbled on an advert that OyinAdejobi was in dire need of interested boys and girls desiring to be trained for his professional theatre group. I attended the audition and was accepted into the group. After spending nine years with the OyinAdejobi Theatre Group, I saw one of Ola Rotimi’s play productions, Kurunmi being staged in Ile-Ife by the Ori-Olokun Players. I was fascinated by their performance and decided to be a part of them.
Firstmajorroles
My first major role on joining the OyinAdejobi Theatre Group was Adejare in the film OrogunAdedigba, which happened to be OyinAdejobi’s autobiography. Another one I played was Kuye, OyinAdejobi’s adaptation of D.F. Odunjo’s novel, Kuye. Also, when I joined the University of Ife (The Ori-Olokun players), my first major role was Odewale in Ola Rotimi’sThegodsarenottoblame.
Mostchallengingandfavoriteroles
My first challenging role was Kuye because the character in question was a deaf and dumb orphan from the beginning to the end of the play. I found the role really challenging because it took a lot of concentration to remain in character despite the fact I could hear what others were Odewale in the Thegodsarenot to blame and the reason being that unlike in OyinAdejobi’s productions whereby once you know the storyline, you have to come up with the dialogue yourself in Yoruba language. But working under Ola Rotimi, I had to memorize the lines for the gods are not to blame since I was neither used to a scripted play nor taken part in a play scripted in English, but I had to take up the challenge and I must confess that it turned out to be a role that for the longest time in my life (1974-2000). Like I said earlier, it wasn’t easy but I was very vibrant because the character is someone who is very agile. Even now at 68, I’m still very agile because of the exercise we go through the theatre, we tend to look young and active.
UnforgettableMoments
If I remember clearly, it was when Professor Wole Soyinka took five of us: GboyegaAjayi, TunjiOjeyemi, AdisaTaiwo, MrsFolaboAjayi, his younger sister and my humble self to perform a play which he directed at the Black Arts Festival held at the Lincoln Centre, New York in 1980. Dr. YemiOgunbiyi, who also trained in New York took us to so many places; it was really exciting. We also had the opportunity of performing in a dance drama at the same festival in 1982; it was really an experience that I would always remember all my life.
Forayintolecturing
As a member of the University of Ife theatre, I didn’t have the opportunity of furthering my education because I felt I was fulfilled being with OyinAdejobi for good nine years. But when I saw how things were being done, I told myself that this was the time to get a University degree. I wrote GCE at the age of 44 after which I proceeded to the University of Ife after writing UME. I started with a degree in Dramatic Arts, a certificate in Yoruba Oral Literature and B.A Dramatic Arts all in OAU. After bagging my first degree at the age of 49 in 1995 as a directing major, one of my able lecturers, Dr. Charles Uji advised me to pursue my Masters degree in directing since I had exceeded the age for NYSC; after my Masters degree, my HOD, Dr. OluAkomolafe also advised me to pursue the directing area of specialization to the PhD level so that I could be lecturing in the areas of acting and directing. As a result of being converted from a university theatre member to an academic staff, I have had the rare privilege of directing plays like AkinwunmiIsola’sMadamTinubu (2003 Convocation play), Ola Rotimi’sManTalk, WomanTalk (Departmental production) and HopesoftheLivingDead (2006 Convocation play) co-directed with the department’s HOD, Professor (Mrs.) FolukeOgunleye. I retired as a senior lecturer from the department of Dramatic Arts, OAU Ile-Ife in September, 2011 after spending my sabbatical here in the Redeemer’s University where I was appointed as the associate professor and acting head of the Theatre Arts Department.
Classroomexperiencewithyourson, Adeyemi
Having Adeyemi as my classmate was all fun to me; we attended classes, practicals and tutorials together, and even made noise together. Sometimes, when lecturers like UkoAtai, Charles Uji or FolukeOgunleye come to class and find the students misbehaving, they get angry and walk out of the lecture room. I would be the one the students sent to appeal on their behalf. Sometimes when my son and I are given semester break assignments, my wife was the one that typed our assignments; sometimes she would compare my son’s own with mine and when I score more marks than him, my wife would admonish him that the reason behind it was that what he wrote was too scanty compared to mine. I must confess that we learnt a lot from each other; for example, he understood poetry so well while I didn’t had time for such. I also taught him some things he couldn’t understand. After we graduated, he got a good job in Group Africa, an advertising company in Lagos while I decided to join the academia which compelled me to pursue my Master’s and PhD.
Numberofhomevideofilmsfeaturedinandwhich role launchedyouintolimelight

I have starred in more than 100 hundred home video films but the prominent ones include OrogunAdedigba, Kuye,KootuAsipa, Atoka,Koseegbe, Saworoide, AsaleEni, EfunsetanAniwura, EgunEleegun, OmoChief, IgiAruwe, Baleku, GbereObinrin, Agboworan, OwoEje, AlabaOniresi, AgbaMeeji, F’olaToore and so on. The film that shot me into the limelight was Mako in Koseegbe.
Awards/laurelsreceived
They include: Thema Award for the best actor of the year 1995
Reel Award for the Best Actor for the year, 1998
Thema Award for the Best Actor of the year 2000
LTV Tiwantiwa award for the best actor of the millennium 2000
Afro Hollywood Award, London, 2002
Theatre Legacy Award 2005,Osun State Merit Award 2005
Distinguished Alumnus Award, Faculty of Arts, O.A.U, Ile-Ife, 2006
The Nigerian home video industry then and now

To me, the video industry has been bastardized because nowadays people don’t want to go through training; they just wake up one day, saying they too want to be artistes. I am not just an actor but a trained one and when such people approach me, I tell them that can they approach a doctor or lawyer and say they want to practice their profession without going through the university, law and medical school? I had the opportunity of studying Drama at certificate level, B.A., Master’s and PhD, so why won’t I be different from someone who just became an actor by emergency. If I don’t, my years in the university would have been a wasted effort.





Yourresponsibilitiesas a title-holder

I am a prince of Oba-Ile but the position of Balogun could be occupied by anybody the Kabiyesi feels like honoring. In my own case before I accepted, I had to consult my wife, children and others before they were convinced because part of the reasons why it took so long for me to consider the title is that we asked questions whether it will affect our lineage when the time comes to present a king. My responsibilities as Balogun include holding consultations with the Kabiyesi, being the third in rank to him on the affairs of the town. We hold meetings on Fridays although there could be emergency meetings except when the king declares holidays for us. But he gave me a concession that I could attend meetings when I have the time.
Thechieftaincytitle, yourlecturingandactingcareers: howdoyoucombinethem?
As a lecturer and HOD, I’m here Mondays through Fridays, while I spend my weekends at Oba-Ile or film locations but as a title holder, if I am needed for a role, the people involved will contact me on phone and if the chieftaincy role will not hinder me, I will go.
Adviceforaspiringthespians
Like the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day; you have to start from somewhere.” The theatre profession, like every profession requires expertise. Theatre is very broad in nature as it involves areas such as acting/mime, directing, radio, television and film production, costume/make-up, theatre management, playwrighting, children’s theatre, dance/choreography, stage management etc. my candid advice for aspiring to be in the theatre profession is to acquire training in various areas; it might be easy at the beginning, but once commitment becomes your watchword, you will definitely rise to the top.