Who Will Inherit the Legacy of Rabbi Gbaba, the "Bah-Gweinyon" from the East?
The Legacy of Rabbi Joe Gbaba
Rabbi Gbaba acting in his "The Minstrel's Tales" at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia in 1992. Gbaba and his Dehkontee Artists Theatre helped to promote peace and reconciliation through the performing arts during the heat of the Liberian Genocide.
In five years, Rabbi Joe Gbaba, commonly known as “Liberia’s Shakespeare”, will be celebrating his 50th Anniversary as a Liberian playwright, theatre director and actor. Dr. Gbaba has practically been the predominant playwright in the West African nation called Liberia for the past forty-five years. He is outspoken, African-centered, well-schooled in his traditional culture. Above all, Gbaba has been very persistent in pursuing his dream to Liberianize and Africanize Liberians. He strongly believes this can be attained by teaching Liberians their cultural and historical roots through the performing and visual arts and literacy.
The original members of Dehkontee Artists Theatre at the University of Liberia in 1977
“Uncle Joe” (as he is affectionately called by the youth of Liberia) has contributed immensely towards the preservation of Liberian and African culture and history through the performing and visual arts and literacy, on the continent of Africa and here in the diaspora (the United States of America). He is Founder and Executive Director of Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI), established at the University of Liberia in 1977, forty-three years ago. Thus, to today's date, DATI is Liberia’s longest surviving theatre organization.
Gbaba's Literary Works and His Quest for Rule of and Peace in Post-Genocide Liberian Society
Gbaba’s literary works reflect the everyday happenings around him, and he has also criticized the status quo in Liberia for suppressing the masses of Liberia, such as in his “No More Hard Times” and “The Disappointed God-Ma”, to name a few. In addition, some of his plays, like “Chains of Apartheid”, address socio-political issues across the continent of Africa and around the world.
Dr. Gbaba has written, directed, acted in some of his his own plays, and produced over twenty-five plays, including but not limited to: “Chains of Apartheid”, “Love for Mymah”, “The Resurrection”, “The Minstrel’s Tales,” etc. He has also self-published three books: 1. Ah-zeo, Ma Garh; 2. The Frogs and Black Snake and Frogs in Frogsville, and 3. Conflict Resolution and the Concept of Change. As a qualitative researcher and scholar, Dr. Gbaba’s doctoral qualitative research study is entitled: “The Chiandeh Curriculum and Textbook Experience: Exploring Children’s Responses to an Afrocentric Curriculum”. It addresses the need to immerse African-centered materials in mainstream curricula around the globe, and to provide culturally relevant education for children of color everywhere.
Presently, Joe is campaigning for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia, to prosecute perpetrators of the Liberian Genocide. He is also training Liberian youth to serve as Peace Advocates to promote peace and reconciliation among survivors of the Liberian Genocide through his Dehkontee Artists Theatre. Above all, Dr. Gbaba is Chairman of the Kukatonon Peace and Reconciliation Initiative, Inc. (KPRI). It consists of a group of prominent patriotic Liberian statesmen and stateswomen who reside in Liberia and in the diaspora. They have committed themselves to promoting peace and reconciliation and providing humanitarian services to survivors of the Liberian Genocide.
Rabbi Gbaba's early days at the University of Liberia as a playwright.
Tomoonh-Garlodeyh and his Dehkontee Artists Theatre have to their credit several presidential and diplomatic (Executive Mansion, State House and diplomatic) performances held under the auspices of several West African Heads of States and diplomats accredited near Monrovia, Liberia and Freetown, Sierra Leone, respectively. During its forty-two years of existence DATI has also traveled and performed in other parts of Liberia and here in the United States at the following venues: E.J. Roye Building, the University of Liberia Auditorium, Cuttington University Auditorium, Open Door Theatre in Yekepa, Buchanan Fair Ground, Bong Mines Club House, Bowie Center for the Performing Arts in Maryland, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C., Ibrahim Theatre, and African Cultural Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as well as in schools in Prince George’s County Public School System in Maryland, U.S.A.
Photo of Open Door Theatre in Yekepa, Nimba County Liberia. This is where Dr. Gbaba produced his first theatre production in 1974.
The Challenges of Being a National Playwright
Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Founder & Executive Director, Dehkontee Artists Theatre, Inc. (DATI)
There are many challenges that go along with being a playwright and artist-scholar. The playwright is the conscience of the society he serves. He interprets and reflects the realities of his time and he provides professional, humanitarian and philanthropic guidance to society. As a human rights and peace advocate and a “no nonsense” scholar/artist, Rabbi Gbaba has ruffled many feathers. He made many foes and friends along the way. Notwithstanding, he survived the Liberian Genocide in which his ethnic group (Krahn) was targeted to be annihilated by the main rebel faction called National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). Furhtermore, other Liberian ethnic groups like the Gios, Manos, Mandingoes, and Congaus were targeted by other rebel factions and militias affiliated with government forces during the Liberian Genocide .
Early this year, over sixty college students and some college graduates enrolled in the DATI Peace Advocate Program. They are expected to graduate from their training in November this year. Thereafter, DATI Peace Advocates will travel throughout Liberia to promote peace and reconciliation through the performing and visual arts and literacy.
in view of the foregoing, it is safe to say the erudite playwright did not gain national and international prominence on a silver platter. Rather, he has worked assiduously over the past four decades to showcase the history and culture of Liberia in the world. He has paid a heavy price with his detractors who thought or think that by attacking and demonizing the learned playwright he would digress from his calling he received from God forty-five years ago. Despite these uncertainties and adversities, Gbaba says:
“The negative criticisms from my critics and detractors have emboldened me to continue my vocation unabatedly. It has strengthened me to know what my detractors think and to prepare me to react proactively. It has also helped improve my literary and artistic creations over the past four decades and now we are inching towards my Golden several years from now.”
“Also, had it not been for those who provide me positive feedbacks and encouragement as well as financial, material, and moral supports, my career would have long perished miserably in an illiterate Liberian society with a high illiteracy rate of 92%! Therefore, thanks to my parents, the Catholic Church, the Governments of Liberia and the United States, and patrons and members of Dehkontee Artists Theatre. I say a big “Thank you” to all DATI members here in the U.S., Liberia, and across the globe for their love and support over the decades. I also thank all the students from the University of Liberia, Cuttington and other educational institutions in the United States of America and Liberia at which I taught and studied. “
“Aplokush” (one of “Uncle Joe’s nick names) says now that he is growing older each day, he believes it is time to begin to train young Liberian intellectuals to take his place when he retires. Consequently, the inauguration of the DATI Playwright Apprenticeship Program is indeed in line with Dr. Gbaba’s plan to pass the baton on the next line of Liberian intellectuals, to prepare future critics of the Liberian society.
The position of a playwright in society is very crucial in mirroring the society through literary manifestations. Apart from Gbaba, there have been some prominent Liberian playwrights such as James Roberts, aka, Kona Khasu, Womi Bright-Neal, and Lester Parker but none of them have been more predominant and long-lasting than the Rabbi and his Dehkontee Artists Theatre which he established forty-two years ago at the University of Liberia. Thus, the question everyone is asking is, who will inherit the Legacy of Rabbi Gbaba, the “Bah-Gweinyon from the East” when he retires from the stage?
To answer this question and hopefully fill in the gap, DATI organized two DATI Chapters in Monrovia, Montserrado County and in Cape Palmas, Maryland County, respectively. Over sixty college students from various regions of Liberia signed up for DATI’s Peace Advocate Program. They recently concluded their training and they are now preparing to launch their respective chapters officially in November of this year. Each chapter is rehearsing a peace and reconciliation drama that it will present during its launching program. However, to facilitate a successful presentation, the Management of DATI inaugurated the DATI Playwright Apprenticeship Program to train young Liberians who would like to become playwrights and theatre directors. Currently, two young Liberian statesmen and college students have stepped up to take advantage of the opportunity to train under Dr. Gbaba as his apprentices.
The two apprentices are members of DATI Chapters in Liberia. Montserrado Chapter playwright apprentice is Statesman Albert Ninneh and the apprentice from the Maryland Chapter is Alfred J. K. Nugba. Both apprentices are college students attending the University of Liberia and Tubman University, respectively. Each of the apprentice will write and direct a dramatic production during the formal launching of his respective chapter in Liberia this year. Nugba and Ninneh will undergo an intensive one-month online playwright training program to learn some skills in playwriting and directing.