IU THE MOTION OF HISTORY AND OTHER PLAYS Qet by AMIRI BARAKA (LeRoi Jones) WILLIAM MORROW AND COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK 1978GF lal CAST SPEAKING PARTS AFRICAN SLAVES—VOICES OF AFRICAN SLAVES {st Man (Prayer—Husband of Dademi) 2nd Maa (Cutter) 3rd Man (Struggler) 131 Woman (Prayer) ‘od Woman (Screamer—Attcked) 34d Woman (With Child) Ghitdven ‘Voices and bodies in the slave ship 1 Tom Slave New Tom (Preacher) WHITE MEN—VOICES OF WHITE MEN Capraia Sailor Planuation Owner—“'Etemnal Oppressor”* cot | a me ese”coor F wy AMIRI BARAKA, PROPS » » ‘Sell effects: incense... dia/fith smelsfbodies Heavy chains ‘Drums (Altican bata drums, and bass and soare) Ratiles snd tumbourines ‘Banjo music for plantation atmosphere Ship noises Ship bells Rocking and splashing of sea Guns and carwidges ‘Whips/whip sounds Whole theater tn darkness. Dark. For a long time. Just dark. Occasional sound, like ship groaning, squeaking, rocking. Sea smells Inthe dark. Keep the people ‘In the dark, and gradually the odors of the sea, and the sounds of the seo, and Sounds of the ship, creep up. Burn incense, ut make a signifcent, almost -tifing, smell come up. Pee. Shit. Death. Life processes going on anyway. Eating. These smells and cres, the slash and tear of the lash, na fotal amos feeling, gotten some way. Afelcan Drums like the worship of some Orisha. Obatala, Mbwanga rates of the Priests. BomBanBamBamBoom BoomBoom BamBam. Rocking ofthe slave ship, in darkness, without sound. But smells. Then sound. Now slowly, out of blackness with smells and drums staccoto, the hideous screams, All he women together, cream. AAAAUMEEEEEEEEEEEE Drums ‘come up agatn, rockin, rocking; black darkness ofthe slave ship. Smells. Drums ‘on up high. Stop. Scream. ANAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEEE. Drums. Black dert- ‘ness with smelt. hoins, the lash, and people moaning. Listen to the sounds come up out of the ‘ctors. Sounds thrown down Ino the hold. AKAAMEEEEEEEEE. Of people, dropped dowa in the darkness, frightened, angry, mathed together In common fervor. The bells ofthe ship. White Men's voices, om top, ready to set sal. ling SLAVE SHIP > HISTORICAL PAGEANT 1967 ASUT 1132] AMIRI BARAKA PROPS ‘Smell effects: incense... din/fith smells/bodies Heavy chaine ‘Drums (African bate drums, and bass and snare) Ratles and tambourines Banjo music for plantation atmosphere Ship noises Ship bells, Rocking and splashing of sea Guns and cartridges ‘Whips/whip sounds ne giter in darkness. Dark. Fora lng tim. Jus dark. Occstonal sound, mane efroanig, squeaking, rocking. Sea smell the dark. Keep epeople nthe dark, ond graduclly the odors ofthe so, and the sounds of he ig ag sats othe ship, creep up. Burn tncense, but make a sgnificens sinog UIE: Emel come wp. Pee. ht. Death Life processes ging on nner ating. These smells and ete, the sash ae tear of he lash Ina atch, feeling, gotten some way, gear Drums keke worship osome Orisa. Oba, Mbwange oles he Priests. BanBamBamBamBoom BoomBoom BamBam, Rocking ofthe slave ship in darkness, without sound. But smells. Then sound, Now slowly, ou of blackness wih smells and drums saccoa, he hllencs screams. Allshe women fogether, scream. E Drums ‘Same p again, rocking, rocking; black darkness ofthe slave ship. Smells, ran, nap high. Sip. Scream. AARAAATIIEEEEEEEEEE Drums, Black dor, ‘ness with smells. rei he ash, and people moaning. Listen 1 the sounds come up out of the © Geir Sends thrown dovm Into the hold. ANAAMIEETEEEEE. Of pope, dropped down inthe darkness, frightened, angry, mashed together in onnags fervor. The bell of the ship. White Men's volces, on top, ready fo ver ra SLAVE SHIP 33) Yotcn 1. OK, let's gol A good cargo of black gold. Let's gol We head Westl We head West, (Long laughter) Black gold in the West. We got our full cargo, Noten 2, Aye, Aye, Cap'n. We're on our way. Riches be ours, by God. ‘Votcn 1. Aye, riches, riches be ours. We're on our way. America! Caughier) (There ts just dim light at top of the set, t indicate where voices are...) (African Drums. With the swifmess of dance, but running int) the ‘heaviness the dark enforces. The drums slow. The beat beat 0, the darkness. “Where are we, God?" The mumble murmur ratth below. The drone of terror. The volces begin t0 beat against ik dark.) ‘WOMAN 1. Oo00000000, Obatala! ‘WOMAN 2. Shangol ‘WOMAN 1. Ooo0000000, Obatala .. (Children’s erying in the hold, and the women trying to comfort them Trying to keep their sanity, 100) WOMAN3. Moshake, chile, calm, calm, be you. Moshake chile. O calm Orisha, save ust ‘won 2. AAATITIEEEEEEE Maa 1. Quit woman! Quiet! Save your suength for your child Wou.n 2. AAAIDEEEEEEE MAN 1. Quiet folish woman! Be quit! Womans. Moshake, baby, chile, becalm, be calm, ive you, eooe000.USE 134) ‘AMIRI BARAKA MAN 1. Shango, Obatala, make your lightning, beat the inside bright with paths for your people. Beat. Beat. Beat. (Drums come up, but they are walls and floors being beaten. Chains rattled. Chains rattled. Drag the chains.) (We get the feeling of many people jammed together, men, women, children, aching In the darkness. The chains. The whips, magnify the chains and whips. The dragging together. The pain. The terror. Women begin to moan and chant songs, ““African Sorrow Song," with scraping ‘of floor and chains for accompaniment) ‘man 2. Fukwididilal Fukwididila! Fukwididila! Fuck you, Orisha! God! ‘Where you be? Where you now, Black God? Help me. I be a strong, warrior, and no woman. And I strain against these chains! But you must help me, Orisha. Obatalal ‘MAN 3. Quiet, you fool, you frighten the woment (Women sll chanting, mooning. Children now crying. Mothers trying 10 comfort them. Feeling of people moving around, tumbling over each ‘other. Screaming as they ry o find a “;place’™ In the bottom of the boat, and then the long stream of different wills, articulated as screams, grunts, cries, songs, et cetera) MAN 3. Pull, pull break them. . Pull woMAN 1. Oh, Obatalal WOMAN 3. Ob, chile...my chile, please, please get away... you crush. Mana. Break... Break... women. AAAAAIIIIIEEEEBEE. ‘ALL. Ubhh, Uhhh, Uhhh, Uhhh, 0000000000000. SLAVE SHIP 135) ‘wowen. AAANIEEEEEEE. (Drums down low, like topping, turn to beating floor, walls, routing, dragging chalns, percussive sounds people make in the hold of a ship. ‘The moans and pushed:-1ogether agony. Children crying incessantly. The ‘mothers trying 10 calm them. More than one child. Young girls afraid they may be violated, Men trying to break out, or turning into frightened children. Families separated for the first time) WoMAN 2. Manami, Ifanami....whete you?? Where you?? Ifan. ami. (Cries) Please, oh, God. maw 1. Obata . (Drums beat down, softer... humming starts. . . hummmmrm, hummmmmmmmm, [ike old black women humming for three centuries in the slow misery of slavery... . hurnenmmmmmmmmymrnmmminmi, ummmmmmminmmmmsmmmmenmmmmmmmsmmmmmen) (Lights flash on white men in sailor suits grinning their vices... voice down... .hummmayammimmypmmmmsnmmmmmmm murs. Lights to light white people are sudden, very bright ond blinding. The ‘white men begin to laugh and point, as if hey were pointing atthe filth misery. and degradation of the Black People. They tgh HAAAAAAHAAAAHAAHAAHAAHAAAHAAHAAHAHAHAIIA. When they are outlined again they ore rolling in merriment. Pointing dancing, jumping up and down, HAHAHA hahaha Haaaa . ..) (Laughter ts drowned tn the drums. Then the chant-moan of the som ‘en. then silence. Then the drums, softer, then the humming, oi ant ‘on, inamaddening, building decth-pottence, broken by he screams, an ‘he bables and the farts, and the bables crying for light. and young wive crying for thelr men. Od people calling for God. Warriors colling fo freedom. Some crying out against the white men. ax 3, Devils! Devils! Devils! Whit. 1 casts! Shit eaters! Beasis! (They beat the walls, and try t0 tear the chains out of the walls) White shit eaters.WOMAN 3. Aiiilieecceeeecece. has |. God, she's killed herself and the child. Oh, God: Oh, God (iaens. Moans. Soft drums, andthe constam, now almost maddenning, humming burmmmmmmmmmmmmmzmm, —humemmne, ‘immmunmmmmnmunsn «.. like mad old nigger ladies humming forever ‘deathly patience... eummmnsxanmm hurnmmnmummenm human) WOMAN 1. She strangled herself with the chai ‘Shango! Help us, Lord. Oh, please. Ghoked the child. Oh, WOMAN. Why you leave us, Lord? ‘as 1. Dademi, Dademt... she dead, she dead... Dademi . (Hear man wracked with death cries, screams) Dademi, Daderi roman. The Black Woman weeps for her man together inthe darkness, same calling for God) WOMAN2. Oh, please, please don’t touch me... Please (Franc) Hanami, where you? SSereams at someone's touch inthe dark, grabbing her, trying to drog ‘her In the darkness, press her down against the floor) mazele- «please please... don't, don't touch me... please, Manami, where you? Please, help me... Go. Maw t What you doing? Get away from that woman. Thats not your woman. You tum into a beast, 100. (Scuffle of tro'men turning tn the darkness trying to kill each other. {ight show white men laughing slenly, dangling thelr whips, n por. ‘tomime, still pointing ‘Man. Devils. Devils. Cold walking shit (All mad sounds together.) (Humming begins again, Bells of ship. Silence, and moans, and hurm ming. and movement in the dark of people. Sliding back and forth, Try, ing to stay alive, and now, over lt, the constant eraxy laughter ofthe sailors) satons. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHHAHHMAIA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, ‘MAN. Till you, devils, I break these chains. (Sound of men struggling ogainst heavy chains) Tear your face off. Crush your throat. Devils, Devils, WOMAN 1. Oh, Oh, God, she dead... and the child (SILENCE/Sound of the sea... . fades) Ak (Humming) HMMMMMMMMMM _HMMMMMMMeMMt {MMMMMMMMMMMMMM HMMMMMMMMMM HMMMMM MMMM (Lights on suddenly, show a shufling “Negro.” Lights off... drums oy anclent African warriors come up... . hero-warriors. Lights blink back fon, show shuffling black man, hatin his hand, scratching his head Lights off Drums again. Black dancing inthe dark, with bell, asf jree dancing wild old dances. Bam Boom Bam Booma Bimbam boone oom beem bam. Dancing Inthe darkness... Yoruba Dance. Light flash on briefly, spot on, off the dance. Then off. Then on, toshonc Th, ‘Slave, raggedy ass, raggedy hat in hand, shuffling toward the audience thulling, scratching hls head and butt. Shaking his head up and dwn qheccing with masse, agreeing, and agreeing, while the whips snap Lights off, flash on, and the saliors, with hats changed to show then planation owners, are stil laughing; no sound, but laughing and porn ‘ng, holding thelr sides, and they laugh and point)1138) ‘AMIRI BARAKA stave. (In darkness) ‘Yassa, boss, yassa Massa Tim, yassa, boss. (Lights wp) : Tse happy a5 a brand new monkey ass, yassa, boss, yassa, Massa Tim, _yassa, Massa Booboo, I's so happy I jus don't know what o do, Yi massa, boss, you'se ‘$0 han'some and good and youse hip, too, yass, I's 0 happy I jus" ata’ and scratch my ol” nigges hai (Lights flash on Slave doing an old-new dance forthe boss; when he finishes he bows and scratches.) (Lights out... she same hummmmmen rises up... with low drums, but the hum, grown louder, drowns lt out. fommmmmanmmmmammmmmmmmmmammmmm — bummmmam- ‘mmmmmmmmmmmnmmmmmmmmm. The laughter now drowns out the humming, the same cold, hideous laughter) WOMAN 3. (Whispering after death) Moshake... Moshake . . . Moshake chile, calm yourself, love. (Woman runs down into soft weep, with no other dlstracting sound, just ‘her moaning sad ery, for her baby. Chalns. Chains. Dragging the chains. The humming. Hummermmmmeeanmmmmmmensnsnm) = wowan2. AIEEEEEEEEEBEEFEEEEER w DD ALL. Ubh, Uhhh, Uhhh, Uhhh, Cooc0000000000. (Sitence) (Soft at first, then rising. Banjos of the plantation) ‘SLAVE 1. Reverend what we gon’ do when massa come? (He sounds afraid) ‘Stave 2. We gon’ cut his fuckin’ throat! (Banjos) (Humming... Hurmmmmmemmmmmm) SLAVE SHIP 1139) SLAVE 1. Reverend, what we gon’ do when the white man come? ‘SLAVE 2. We gon’ cut his fuckin’ throat. ‘stave. Devil. Beast. Murderer of women and ct eater! fen. Soulless shit Stave 1. Reverend Turmer, sir, what we gon’ do when the massa come? SLAVE 2. Cut his godless throat. (Lights flash up on same Tomish slave, still scratching his head, butnow apparently talking 10 a white man) ‘Stave. Ubh, dass right, Massa Tim... dey gon’ ‘volt. ‘WuITE voice. What? Vote? Are you crazy? Save. Nawsaw...I said “volt... uhhh... revolt (Laughter, now... rising behind the dialogue) ‘WurTE vorce. When, boy? Stave. Ahhh, (night, boss, t'night ... % say they gon’... “scuse de “spression . . . cut you... uhh fuckin’ ... uhh throat - ‘warts voice. (Laughs) ‘And who's in charge of thi "volt"? Stave. Uhh... Reverend Tumer...suh. . ‘ware voice. What? SLAVE. Unb... dass right... . Reverend Tuer... uh... Now ean ‘have dat extra chop you promised me?i: 10) AMIRI BARAKA (Screams mow, as soon asthe lights go down AIEEEFEEEEEIEIEIEIBIEIE Gunshots, combination of slave ship and break up of the revolt. Volces of master and slaves in combat) ‘wire voice. I ill you, niggahs. You black savages. ‘BLACK Vorce. White Beasts. Devil from hell. (Voice, now, humming, humming, slow,. deathly patient hum HUM (Drums of Africa, and the screams of Black and White in combat.) (Lights flash on Tom, cringing as if he hiding from combat, gnawing on ork chop. Voice of white man laughing in tlumph. Another chop comes salling out of the darkness. Tom grabs lt and scoffs it down, grinning, and doing the deadape shuffe, humming while he eats) Woman 3. (Dead whispered voice) Moshake, Moshake ... chile. ..calm calm... we be all right, now -++Moshake, be calm . .. Man 1. White beasts! ‘AL Ubh. Obhh. Uhhh, Uhhh (As if pulling a tremendous welght) WOMAN 1. Hanami... man 1. Dademi ... Dademi. woman 2. Akiyele ... Akiyele . ...Lord, husband, where you .. help Man. «touch my hand... woman... ‘WOMAN 2. Manamil ‘WOMAN 2. Moshake! SLAVE SHIP risty (Now the same voices, as if transported | time 10 the slave farms, call ‘names, English slaves names) ‘Au. (Alternating man and woman losing mate indeath, or through stave sale, or the aura of constant fear of separation . ..) Lake. Oh my God. Man. Sarah, Woman. Joho. ‘Woman 2. Bverett. My God, they killed him. ‘AUL. Mama, Mama... Nana. Nana, Willie. Ohhh, Lord... They done ‘ALL. Ubh. Uhhh, Uhh Obstala, Obatala. Saveus. Lord, Shango, Lord of forests. Give us back our strength. (Chains. Chains. Dragging and grunting of people pushed against cach other) (The sound of a spiritual. “Oh, Lord, Deliver Me, Oh Lord,"” And now ries of “JESUS, LORD, JESUS ... HELP US, JESUS...) Maw 1. Ogun, Give me weapons, Give me iron. My spear. My bone and ‘muscle make them tight with tension of combat. Ogun, give me fie and. ‘death to give to these beasts, Saraval Saraval Ogun! (Drums offre and blood, briefly oud and smashing against the dark, but snow calming, dying down, till only the moans, and then the same patient ‘humming. of women, nov, no men, oniy the women... sirains of "The Old Rugged Cross"... and only the women and the humming the time passing in the darkness, soft, soft, mournful weeping Jesus... Jesus... Jesus... .Jesus.. Jesus... Jesus. Jems. . Jesus. ..") Tesus (Now lights lash on, and preacher in modern business suit stands with hatin his hand. Hels the same Tom as before. He stands at ist talking to his congregation: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,”" Then, wih,bet “ay ‘AMIRI BARAKA 4a big grin, speaking in the pseudo-intelligent patter he uses forthe boss. ‘He tries to be, in fact, assumes he is, dignified, trying to hold his shoulders straight, but only succeeds in giving his body an odd stant like a diseased coal chute) Paeacuen. Yasss, we understand... the problem. And, personally, I ‘think some agreementcan be reached. We will be nonviolenk... to the last... because we understand the dignity of Pruty McBonk and the ‘Greasy Ghost. Of course diddy rip to bink, of vout juice. And penguins ‘would do the same. Ihave a trauma that the gold sewers won't integrate. Present fink. have an enema... atraums,on the coaster with your wife bied shit. ‘woman 3. (Black woman's volce screaming for her child ogatn) Moshake! Moshake! Moshake! beeba.... beeba.... Wafwa ko wafwa ko fukwididila (Screams... moans... drums... mournful death-tone.. . The Preacher looks, head sured jus slightly, asi embarrassed, rylig sll! to 4alkto the white man. Then, one of the black men, out ofthe darkness, comes and sits before the Tom, a wrapped-up bloody corpse of a dead burned baby as if they had just taken the body froma Blown-up church, sets corpse in front of preacher. Preacher stops. Looks upat “person” he’s Tomming before, then, with his foot, tres 10 push baby's body ‘behind him, grinalng, and effing, all the time, showing teth, and being “adigaified”’) Preacuen. Uhhberr... = Mas’ ub... Mister Tasty- slop... We Kneegrows arc ready to integrate... the blippy rump of Stomach bat has corrinked a lip to push the thimble. Yass. Yess. Veesie| (In background, while preacher Is froten in his “ef” position, high hhard sound of saxophone, backed up by drums. New-sound saxophone tearing up the darkness. At height of screaming saxophone, instruments ‘and drums come voices screaming . ..) SLAVE SHIP 18) wan. Beasts! Beasts! Beasts! Ogun. Give me spear and iron. Let me kilt (Humming as before. .. long... incredible paience, as if would go ‘on forever, turns into Ot i Alltake itup, as the climax rises) (Lights down. Ommmmm sound, mixed vi 1 sounds of save ship, sax- ‘ephone and drums. Sounds of people thrown against each other, now ay ‘trying, all, t0 rise, pick up. Sounds of people picking up. Like dead people rising. And against that, the same sounds of slave ship. White laughter aver all of it. White laughter. Song begins 10 bulld with the Saxophone and drums. First chanted) aL Rise, Rise, Rise Cut these ties, Black Man Rise ‘We gon’ be the thing we are . . (ow all sing “When We Gonna Rise") ‘When we gonna rise up, brother ‘When we gonna tise above the sun Tmean, when we gonna lift our beads and voices ‘When we gonna show the world who we really are ‘When we gonna tise up, brother When we gonna take our awn place, brother Like the world had just begun ‘mean, when we gonna lift our heads and voices ‘Show the world who we really are Warriocs-Gods, and lovers, The First Men to walk this star ‘Yes, oh, yes, the first Men to walk this star How far, how long will it be ‘When the world belongs to you and me ‘When we gonna rise up, brother ‘When we gonna tise above the sun When we gonna take our own place, brother Like the world had just begun? (Drum—new sax—volce arrangement)Set 1144] AMIRI BARAKA (Bodies dragging up, in darkness) (Lights on the preacher none part ofthe stage. He stands sili, jabbering senselessly t0 the white man, And the white man’s laughter is heard trying to drown out the music, but the music ts rising) (Preacher turns 10 look into the darkness at the people dragging up behind him, embarrassed at frst, then beginning to get frightened. The laughter, t00, takes on a less arrogant tone.) WOMAN 3. Moshake. Moshake. sax. Opn, give i tel. (Humming rising, too, behind. Still singing **When We Gonna Rise.”* Preacher squirms, turns to see, and suddenly his eyes begin to open very wide, Ughis are coming up very, very slowly, almost imperceptibly at first. Now, singing is beginning fo be heard, mixed with old African drums, and volees, crles, pushing screams, of the slave ship. Preacher begins to fidget, as if he does not want 1o be where he's. He looks to boss for help. Volce is breaking, as lights come up and we see all the people in the slave ship in Miracles’/Temptations’ dancing line. Some doing African dance. Some doing new Boogaloo, but all moving toward Preacher, and toward voice. Iisanew-old dance, Boogalooyoruba line, women, children all moving, popping fingers, all singing, and drum- mers, beating out old and new, and moving, all moving. Finally, the Preacher begins to cringe and plead for help from the white voice.) rREAGIER. Please, boss, these niggers goin’ crazy; please, boss, throw ‘yo lightnin’ at ‘em, white Jesus boss, white light god, they goin crazy! Helpt voice. (Coughing, as f choking on something, trylng to laugh because the sight of preacher is funny... still manoging to laugh ot preacher) Fool. Fool. PREACHER. Please, boss, please that, boss... . Please... . Please . 1 do anything for you... . you know SLAVE SHIP (45) (All group merge on him and Kill him daid. Then they turn in the direction of where the voice iscomlng from. Dancing, Singing, right on toward the ‘now pleading voice) Vorca. HasHaaHiastfaa (Laugh gets stuck in his throat) Uhh. .now what. .. you haha can’t touch me... you scared of me, ‘niggers. I'm God. You cain’ tkill white Jesus God. I got long blond blow. bait. Idon’t even need to wear a wig. You love the way Hook. You want {0 00k like me. You love me. You want me. Please. I'm good. I'm kind. Ul give you anything you want. I'm white Jesus savior right godpay you ‘money nigger me is good god be please... please dan't . (Lights begin to fade... . drums and volces of old stave ship come back) ‘ALL. Ubh. Ohh. Uhh. Ohh. Uhh. Oth. Uhh. Obh. (And then the terrible humming, turning to the OMMMM- nenmmmnimmmmen sound, broken now, bythe fn awful scream of the killed white voice) ee voice. AWHAWHAEHAHWAWHWHAHW. (Altptyers eed in half igh, the movement af the act Thentighs go down. Black) " 7 (Lights come up abruptly, and people on stage begin to dance, same hip Boogolooyoruba, fingerpop, skate, monkey, dog... Enter audience. ‘get members of audlence to dance. To same music Rise Up. Turnsintoan ‘actual party. When the party reaches some loose improvisation, et cetera, audlence relared, somebody throws the preacher's head into enter of floor, tha ls, ofter dancing starts for real. Then black) poe ee pee reg eet gy gee oy ern ASget A PROGRAM NOTES FIRST PERFORMANCES OF SLAVE SHIP Slave Ship was fist presented by The Spirit House Movers in Newark, New Jersey, in March, 1967 ‘THE COMPANY CONSISTED OF: Sylvia Tones Yusef Iman Doris Iman Justice Iman ‘Malaika Iman We Iman (Oba Iman Olugabala Iman Barry Wyn Lababa Latect Clarence Reed, J. Damu Aminit Ben Caldwelt Directed by LEROI JONESSlave Ship was presented at Theatre-in-the-Church at Washington ‘Square, New York City, in November, 1969 ‘THE COMPANY FRANKADU (Atowods, Avctioneer) GWEND. ANDERSON (Tawa) PRESTONBRADLEY (Akoowa, Modem Day Preacher) LEE CHAMBERLIN (Oyalosa Tsia)) BILLDUKE (Akano) PHYLLISESPINOSA (Adute) RALPHESPINOSA (iat) BARRY FRAZIER (Salako, Reverend Tornes) ‘MAXINEGRIFFITH (adem TiMPeLT (Lato, Plastation Tom) C.ROBERTSCOTT ~ Gallon) SERETSCOTT olive) SYLVIASOARES Gegilels) ‘MARILYN THOMAS ian!) - REETA WHITE Oyo) and LEOPOLDO FLEMING (congus), CHARLES DAVIS (soprano saxophone), RICHARD FELLS (bass), BEAVER HARRIS (drums), BOB RALSTON (saxophone), MICHAEL RIDLEY (trumpet) Produced by OLIVER REA (« Chesca Theatre Center Production) inassocaton ‘with WOODIE KING. ‘2 Directed by GILBERT MOSES + 7 Tre Te See | GLOSSARY OF YORUBA TERMS OYO MAA BO, OYA KALO OYA—IF YOU ARE: cone Arona! READY FOR A FIGHT, MASE (na-shay)—don't URO (doo-row)—stop, ORO-0-0-0—ery of pain ORUN (oh-oh-ro0n)—it smells KABIYESI (Ka-bee-sy-see)—oh my Lord OBATALA—name of the arch divinity SANGO (Shango)—a deity, god of thunder and lightning ORISA (Or-e-sha)—name of the supreme deity IFA (Ee-fn)—deity-wisdom RAN WA LOWO (rahn-wah-lowo)—help us OLUWA (oh-lou-wsh)—oh Lord BENI (beh-a-nee)—yes BEKO (bay-s-ko)—n0 RARA O (tah-rah-ob)—it can’t be SE SURU (shay-sou-rou)—patience DAKE (a-kay)—be quiet oro Pantano | —#hutup, hush, quiet OTT (oh-tee}—o ce] 3 7 =. oo =e ag meSe gee 1190] ‘AMIRI BARAKA GBADURA (bah-dur-rah)—pray L'AGBARA (ag-bwah-rah)—have strength AGDARA Gg bar r)oengh FUN WA (ong wal give ws BABA OMOfabe of ra NIBO L’AWA? (Nee-bo Iah-wah)—Where are we? LU dou)teat lowo 4 DaKUN. (dah-koon)—please IGBE (ceg-bay)—shit OO Li Se HAT FUN MI You ca’ do hs o me SE ALAFIA NI? (hay allanfocavacty Mona out ALAFIA NI, MO DUPE (allah-fee-ah-nee mo dou-pay)—I am fine, thnk you TLENKO? (con endo}~And your famiy? 0 DABO (ch-dah-bow}—goodbye O DARO (ch-dah-row}— goodnight E KARO (ch katvow) food moming EKASAN (ch kavan)pod eemson E KUROLE (ch kou-role-ay)—good evening (before dark) E KALE (ch kah-lay}—good evening (after dark) MINLMINEFORAN 1 scacy can pkshn) ta Yorba nm K'AIYE WON O TORO BI OMI A. F-ORO-PON—May their lives be cla and pute Ike water dawn ely ne ong