Spinning Tales, Weaving Futurs

Characters: Iya Agba, a 60 year old Yoruba woman from Nigeria, and Aduke, a 22 year old Yoruba woman from Nigeria

Setting: The play is set in contemporary Lagos, Nigeria. All actions take place inside the waiting room of a studio.

Synopsis: A Gift from Yesterday tells the story of two women who have been invited for a storytellingproject in a studio. On one side of the studio waiting room is Iya Agba, a 60-year-old Yorubafemale storyteller. Iya Agba is a strong believer in the power of live performance for children and the community at large. The other side of the waiting room is occupied by Aduke, a young woman in her 20's. Aduke is a digital artist who creates stories for children using images,computer graphics, sound design, and streaming platforms. While Iya Agba prepares to performa Yoruba folktale with her voice, memory, and a shekere (beaded gourd), Aduke also prepares tocreate and showcase a digital story with her laptop. Inevitably, Iya Agba’s Shekere music clasheswith the sounds coming from Aduke’s laptop and this results in a heated exchange between thetwo storytellers. Iya Agba believes that digital technology dilutes the passion and emotion whichanimates storytelling, while Aduke thinks live performance is too slow and limited. As theyargue back and forth, they begin to make sense out of each other’s points. They ultimately reacha compromise to collaborate on their storytelling projects.

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