THE SHOW MUST GO ON

A Play with 4 Scenes

By

GROUP 3 - Department (TFD)

Based on the concept: “Problems Faced in Our

Department”

For

200 Level Theatre for Development (TFD)

February 21st, 2023

Group Leader: Prince Ewhomazino Akatika

Assistant Group Leader: Joshua Iyere

Scriptwriter: PRINCE Ewhomazino Akatika

Researcher: Prosper Ebegbodi Osemeke

 Scene I: A Costly Misunderstanding
(PRINCE, a young man who just got admitted into Theatre Arts
Department, in the University of Benin is on the phone with his
friend, JOSH.)

PRINCE: how’s it going, josh? I just got myself an apartment in ugbowo!

JOSH: (impressed) bad guy! You must have spent big money on it.
PRINCE: sure na. Anything comfortable, i deh like.

JOSH: (curiously) so, have you moved in yet?

PRINCE: yes. And let me tell you, bro, it's like living in a palace. I bought everything i need: a
big-screen tv, a comfy sofa, and one huge bed!

JOSH: (chuckles) sounds like you don hit jackpot.

PRINCE: (laughing) omo!

JOSH: (pauses) guy wait! No be theatre arts you deh study? Why you go carry house for
ugbowo?

PRINCE: (confused) what do you mean?

JOSH: (serious) your campus is not in ugbowo, bro. It's in ekehuan, another place in benin.

PRINCE: (shocked) ehn?! That can't be right. Uniben is in ugbowo na. Abi?

JOSH: (sighs) sorry, bro, but it's true. I just double-checked on our university's website.

PRINCE: (laughs) you deh wyne me abi. I don already pay for the entire four years oh.

JOSH: that's tough, man. You should have done your research before making such a big
decision.

PRINCE: true. Very true. (shakes head in despair)

(END OF SCENE)
 Scene 2: Orientation: First Steps on Campus
(The stage is set with a few scattered benches, a bulletin board and a
building with a sign that reads "Mass Communication". The newly
admitted girl, LARA, enters the stage carrying a large bag. She looks
around, confused.)

LARA: (muttering to herself) where is the clearance office for theatre arts?

A fellow student notices her and approaches.

FELLOW STUDENT: you're looking for the theatre arts clearance office, right? They're
actually located in the mass communication building.

LARA: (surprised) why in the mass communication building?

FELLOW STUDENT: (sighs) unfortunately, there's a lack of buildings in the theatre arts
department, so some of the offices had to be relocated to other departments' buildings.

LARA:) oh, that's a shame.

FELLOW STUDENT: (nodding) yeah, it's not ideal, but we make do with what we have.

LARA: thanks for letting me know.

FELLOW STUDENT: (smiling) no problem. Good luck with everything.

LARA walks towards the mass communication building and the lights fade to black.

(END OF SCENE)
 Scene 3: Carry Over
(Scene opens in the corridor of the Theatre Arts Department at the
University of Benin. Four students, JIDE, TOLU, KOLA and YEMI
are walking towards the registration desk, chatting excitedly.)

JIDE: (frustratedly) i can't believe we all got an f in introduction to theatre arts. How did that
even happen?

TOLU: (nodding) yeah, it's a real bummer. But we can't let this setback stop us from pursuing
our dreams.

YEMI: (thoughtfully) agreed. We need to figure out which courses we need to retake next year.

KOLA: (joining in) i don't even know which courses i need to retake. My result slip just says
'carryover' for theatre arts.

JIDE: (surprised) wait, really? Mine too.

TOLU: (confusedly) that doesn't make sense. How are we supposed to know which specific
topics we need to improve on?

YEMI: (that's a tough spot to be in. But i'm sure we can talk to our lecturer and get some
guidance.

KOLA: do you really think he'll be able to help us?

JIDE: we won't know unless we try. We can set up a meeting with him and go over our result
slips together.

TOLU: and in the meantime, we can work on improving our overall knowledge of the subject.

YEMI: (encouragingly) exactly. We may have stumbled a bit, but that doesn't mean we can't
pick ourselves up and keep moving forward.

KOLA: (gratefully) thanks, guys. I really appreciate your support. I was feeling pretty lost
before.

(as JIDE, TOLU, YEMI, and KOLA start to walk away from the corridor, heads hung low, the
curtain falls on this scene.)

(END OF SCENE)
 Scene 4: To Class or Not to Class
(The scene is set in the University Of Benin (UNIBEN). The stage is
set up to look like the 1000lt Mass Communication building, with a
few chairs and tables placed around.)

(TOBI, EMEKA, NGOZI, and CHIDI enter the stage, looking relieved but still a bit lost.)

TOBI: (looking around) so, this is where we're having our class?

EMEKA: (nodding) yeah, it looks like it.

NGOZI: (skeptical) but this is the mass communication building. Are you sure we're in the right
place?

CHIDI: it doesn't matter. We don't have a choice. We have to use whatever building we can
find.

(Mr. ADE enters the stage.)

Mr. ADE: oh, you all found it! I didn't expect to see you here.

TOBI: what do you mean?

Mr. ADE: apart from the theatre hall, the department of theatre arts doesn't have a building, so
we will be using the 1000lt mass communication building for now.

EMEKA: ah, that makes sense.

CHIDI: (grateful) thank you for telling us, sir.

Mr. ADE: (smiling) no problem. Now sit and let us commence.

(the students sit down and begin to set up for class.)

TOBI: (looking around) it's not much, but i'm just glad we have a place to hold class.

NGOZI: who knows, maybe one day we'll have our own building.

CHIDI: (smiling) yeah, and it'll be the best building on campus.

(they all laugh and the scene ends with them beginning their class.)

(END OF SCENE)
 CHARACTERS

 PRINCE
 JOSH
 TOBI
 FELLOW STUDENT
 LARA
 EMEKA
 NGOZI
 CHIDI
 MR. ADE
 JIDE
 TOLU
 YEMI
 KOLA