ABSTRACT
The writing of the play Conversation is partly inspired by Bridget Inegbeboh’s reflection on Isidore Okpewho’s perception on African folklore; stating that Esan folktales may be seen as literature with meanings that possibly challenge communal and contemporary ideas. The enactment of Conversation may be seen within the context of ‘community and participatory arts’ and ‘the power of drama to affect personal and social change’. Equally important for the enactment is knowledge about underdevelopment. In developing the performance, folktale images reflecting the actions of the Ants and their role of purification may indicate the resonance of new voices seen in the context of the theatrical empowerment of the collectives in a purportedly corrupt nation. The image of the characters filing into the ant holes in the enactment is useful for explaining the notion of transformation, an outcome for stimulating community development and is also indicative of the collective agreement on transformation, perceived as a pathway to community development.
