ABSTRACT
Efua Theodora Sutherland, née Efua Theodora Morgue, was born on June 27, 1924, in Cape Coast, Gold Coast. After completing her secondary education at St. Monica’s Training College in Ashanti region, she went abroad to Teacher Training College, Homerton College, Cambridge University, where she received her B.A. in education, and also to the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. On her return home in 1951, she taught at a couple of institutions, including her alma mater, St. Monica’s Training College. She married William Sutherland, an African American, in 1954, and they had three children. Sutherland occupies a unique position as teacher, playwright, and theater director. She was the founding director of experimental theater groups like the Experimental Theatre Players, now the Ghana Drama Studio; founder of the Ghana Society of Writers, now the Writers’ Workshop in the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon; the creator of Kodzidan (story house), a community theater place in Ekumfi-Atwia; and also founding director of Kusum Agoromba, a touring theater group at the School of Drama, University of Ghana, Legon. Efua Sutherland was also cofounder of Okyeame, a literary magazine in Ghana. Her efforts were recognized in the award of an honorary doctorate by the University of Ghana. Outside of the theater, she served as advisor to the president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings. She was a consultant to the Du Bois Center for African Culture and also worked with the National Commission on Children. Efua Sutherland died in January 1996.
