Julie Okoh

Juliana (Julie) Omonukpon Omoifo Okoh (born Ubiaja, 5 August 1947) is a Nigerian playwright, educator and feminist activist who was Professor of Theatre Theory at the University of Port Harcourt from 2004 to 2017. After studying in the United States and Canada, she earned a PhD from the University of Bordeaux III in 1991.[1] Dealing with issues concerning women in society, her plays include The Manneguins (1997), Edewede (2000) and Closed Doors (2007).[2][3][4]

Biography

Born in Ubiaja in Nigeria's southerly Edo State, Juliana Omonukpon Omoifo is the daughter of Augustine Azamuoisa Omoifo, a teacher and court clerk, and his wife, a seamstress and store manager. Brought up in a modest household, she was the fifth in a family of eight children. Both her parents were culturally active: her father loved music and played the guitar while her mother was a traditional story teller who took part in Ikhio dance-drama performances.[1][5] She is married to Joseph Donatus Okoh (born 1941), a professor specializing in education at the University of Port Harcourt.[6] They have four children.[1]

After completing her primary education in Ubiaja, Juliana Omoifo attended Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School in Uromi. She then found a job with the Ministry of External Affairs in Lagos where she took GCE examinations at ordinary and advanced level. Thanks to outstanding results, she was able to attend a three-year course in training as a bilingual secretary at the Federal Training Centre. In 1972, she was granted admission to Loyola University Chicago where she graduated in French and English Literature in 1976. She went on to earn a master's degree in French Literature from the University of Alberta (1979). She later attended the University of Bordeaux to study French and English Theatre, earning a master's degree in 1989 and a PhD in 1991.[1]

In 2000 and 2001, Okoh was in the United States where she was a Fullbright Fellow at Smith College, taking on assignments as a guest lecturer at North Carolina State University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In 2004, she embarked on a lengthy career as Professor of Theatre Theory and Criticism at the University of Port Harcourt.[1]

Julie Okoh retired in 2017.[7]

In a lecture titled "Towards Feminist Theatre in Nigeria", which she presented in October 2012, Okoh concludes:[8]

"The concept of gender equality that focuses on women's rights has come a long way, and feminist literature has played a major role in bringing about changes in the attitude towards women. Yet, a long battle still lies ahead, for it will take a long time for gender equality and the role of women in society to be well understood and accepted in the ideal sense... As for me, I have chosen the medium of the theatre as my pulpit for that purpose. I have tried to reach out to the world with my theatre practice based on feminist principles and techniques."

Publications

Okoh has written and directed over 30 plays, many of which have been published, as well as critical essays and articles in both French and English on theatre, cultural and gender issues.[1]

One of her most successful plays is Edewede which was first performed at the University of Port Harcourt in 1998. It is aimed at convincing Nigerian women that excision is a tradition which should be avoided, presenting it as a harmful practice. The play includes traditional women's dances and songs, sometimes subversively. Using a lengthy sex strike as a device, the women vote to ban excision. Excision is also the theme of In the Fullness of Time, in which the audience is encouraged to participate in voting or in singing and clapping.[9]

Her plays include:[2]

  • 1997: Mask: A Play for Schools and Colleges[10]
  • 1997: The Manneguins[11]
  • 2000: Edewede: The Dawn of a New Day[12]
  • 2000: In the Fullness of Time[13]
  • 2002: Who Can Fight the Gods?[14]
  • 2005: Aisha[15]
  • 2007: Closed Doors[16]
  • 2008: The Trials[17]
  • 2009: A Haunting Past: Drama[18]
  • 2010: Our Wife Forever: Drama[19]
  • 2014: Cry for Democracy[20]
  • 2018: Thorny Path[21]

Awards

Okoh has been awarded numerous scholarships and awards. They include:[1]

  • 2000: Senior Fulbright Scholar
  • 2011: Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artists (SONTA)

References
  1. Ekeikhomen Ejeke, Philomena (30 October 2012). "Citation on Professor Juliana Omonukpon Omoifo Okoh in Towards Feminist Theatre in Nigeria" (PDF). University of Port Harcourt. p. 95-. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  2. "Ohoh, Julie (Prof)". Directory of Nigerian Female Authors. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  3. Imo, Edward Egbo (2018). "The "Chauvinistic" Men of Julie Ohoh: Victins of Feminist Bias" (PDF). Journal of Gender and Power, Vol. 10, No. 2. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. Fasoranti, Abiola Olubunmi, Abiola (2011). [TWqBkc9MIUQJ:ejournals.unilorin.edu.ng/journals/index.php/tpijpa/issue/download/159/Abiola+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=lu "A Study of Julie Okoh as a Nigerian Female Playwright-Director"]. The Performer, Vol. 13. pp. 58–66. Retrieved 13 May 2020.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. (Jr.), Kevin J. Wetmore (2019). Representing Africa in the Motherland and the Diaspora: Essays on Theatre, Dance, Music and Cinema. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 53–. ISBN 978-1-5275-2606-8.
  6. "Celebrating our teacher & mentor @ 70 : essays in honour of Professor Joseph Donatus Okoh". WorldCat. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  7. Ajeluorou, Anote (25 March 2018). "Why Gabriel Okara Literary Festival Will Not Hold This Year". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  8. Okoh, Juliana Omonukpon Omoifo (30 October 2012). "Towards Feminist Theatre in Nigeria" (PDF). University of Port Harcourt. p. 88. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  9. Zabus, Chantal (2007). Between Rites and Rights: Excision in Women’s Experiential Texts and Human Contexts. Stanford University Press. pp. 255–. ISBN 978-0-8047-6837-5.
  10. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (1988). Mask: A Play for Schools and Colleges. Totan Publishers Limited. ISBN 978-978-2449-45-0.
  11. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (1997). The Mannequins. Springfield Publishers. ISBN 978-978-34320-2-4.
  12. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2000). Edewede: The Dawn of a New Day. Totan Publishers Limited. ISBN 978-978-2048-65-3.
  13. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2000). In the Fullness of Time. Totan Publishers. ISBN 978-978-2048-74-5.
  14. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2002). Who Can Fight the Gods?. Pearl Publishers.
  15. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2005). Aisha. Pearl Publishers. ISBN 978-978-37424-9-9.
  16. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2007). Closed Doors. Pearl Publishers. ISBN 9789780804831.
  17. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2008). The Trials. Pearl Publishers. ISBN 9789784830928.
  18. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2009). A Haunting Past: Drama. Kraftgriots. ISBN 978-978-49543-2-7.
  19. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2010). Our Wife Forever: Drama. Kraftgriots. ISBN 978-978-8425-40-3.
  20. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2014). Cry for Democracy: Drama. Kraft Books. ISBN 978-978-918-197-1.
  21. Okoh, Julie Omoifo (2018). Closed Doors. Krafy Books. ISBN 9789789181971.
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