"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self." Aristotle

I had a good laugh last Sunday. It was specifically on 29^th March at the National Theatre to watch Uncle Ebo Whyte’s’ latest classic - the smartest man alive. It is a must watch play. The play is thoughtful, well crafted and spiced with great humor. One caution for those who are having rib pains, be careful watching this play because your ribs will crack. Three days after watching the play, I still laugh when I recall scenes from it.

I describe this play as classic and the facts are self-evident…

Scenes: The play has just a few scenes within two settings with all the nuances of Ghana’s politics artfully crafted.

Originality: Typical of Uncle Ebo, the play is original in both context and content. It is one of the things that keep one glued to it till the end.

Characterization: If you can fault Ebo Whyte with anything at all then it is definitely not his characterization. He has mastered the art of selecting the exact characters that match the roles he creates and the “Smartest Man Alive” is no exception.  If I have anything to say, I will say he had it spot on.

The lead character was exceptional in everything, his fluency, his dexterity and costume. One of the characters was the exact semblance of a politician in Ghana whose name I decline to mention in this write-up.

Beyond the Smartest Man…

It is obvious that Uncle Ebo Whyte has become legendary in the production of plays in Ghana. He has brought the whole National Theatre alive through his singular exploits and he must be honored by people going there in their numbers every quarter to watch his plays. It is the very least we can do to help him succeed. The civilization of any country is measured by the vibrancy of its performing arts. It is the epic of its civilization. Greece had several theatres and amphi theatres. It was the height of civilization of the then world power.

I must confess that I really enjoyed every bit of the play. After the show I told Ebo Whyte that he will find it difficult to beat his own record. I said the same to KSM and he predicted that Ebo will beat it. To me this is a great and a must watch play. Do whatever you can to watch this play. One thing I will be doing is to be keenly watching out to see if Uncle Ebo will beat the Smartest Man Alive!

 

Daniel Amuzu

Author: Living Naked, Wit & Wisdom of Prince Kofi Amoabeng

Email: Damuzu@yahoo.com

Blog: www.danielamuzu.com