Introducing Antionette
Growing up as a citizen of Ghana, I cherish seeing people wearing local brands like the kente, wrist bands and locally made fabrics. I also watched a lot of local dramas from playwrights like ‘By the Fire Side’, ‘Key Soap Concert Party’, ‘Akan Drama’, among others, which made me acknowledge ways of promoting the cultural heritage of the country.
I was born Antoinette Dzorgbenyuie Kotoko. I am from the Volta Region of Ghana – Akorme in the Ho West Constituency – and by love affiliations, I became Antoinette Dzorgbenyuie Letsa on March 6, 2010. My husband, Mr. Selorm Letsa and I have been blessed with an adorable gift, Abigail Mawunyo Letsa. I have six siblings.
I attended Kabore and Mawuli schools respectively in Ho, Volta Region. I have a BA in Theatre Arts (Playwriting) and Information Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon. Subsequently, I got an MA in Development Communication from the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale.
I am a playwright and the Director of DM-SALT Drama Mansion, a Theatre Arts enterprise based in Tamale, with its works spread across the world for the benefit of humanity.
This initiative commenced officially in 2017. At UDS, a course mate of mine, Mr. Stephen Agbenyo – the Director of Savana Signatures, encouraged me to start a stage play for the public since I used to put up interesting stories and articles on our WhatsApp page, which our mates found mind-blowing, particularly during one of our projects on drama. We collaborated and came up with a storytelling session which earned us all good grades.
Besides, with the passion to be a change agent, use edutainment and total theatre to inform, counsel, entertain and educate society in my capacity as a writer, I heeded the advice to go on a bigger stage with limited financial resources. That was when I wrote and directed, JOANNE 3:16 in 2017. Mr. Stephen Agbenyo supported me with publicity, and I sold a container I had to pay actors and service providers.
Prior to JOANNE 3:16, I had written over 30 plays for different programmes, both full-length and short plays. In addition, I had written over 20 poems and taken an interest in film acting. My mother, Elizabeth Kabukie Ocansey, travelled with me to Accra to act in my first screen production, ‘BABINA’, by Mr. Akwetey Kanyi. This opportunity came to me courtesy of one of the most celebrated Directors in the world, Leila Dzansi – my childhood friend from Kabore and Mawuli schools.
From 2009 to 2022, I have produced over 50 plays – including ‘Romance in a Coffin’, ‘JOANNE 3:16’, ‘Wife for Rent 50% Discount’, Husbands on Strike, Alima Selina (The Red Ribbon), Fried Rice and Chicken TZ, Fried Ice-Cream, Love at 3rd Sight, Bride Prize? Ghana Must Come, and more – toward Theatre for Development.
The plays’ themes were enriched with key messages for advocacy, information-sharing, edutainment and counselling of the general public, especially young people, women and girls.
Though a natural creative writer, my educational background has influenced my drama decisions. I studied General Arts at Mawuli School. I also took some courses at the School of Performing Arts, Legon, and had a wonderful blend in UDS with Development Communication, which had communication for change, media and culture embedded in it.
Indeed, I have been that blessed person who will organise my classmates to act after I had written the play, right from JHS. One of my plays, ‘The Future is Unknown’, was selected for a regional drama festival in the late 90s in JHS.
Whenever I get a concept for a play, I pray about it, talk to some experts in the fraternity on the theme for extra information, and also learn more about the theme from the perspective of the region involved. Then, I call for auditions while casting and rehearsals commence while looking for sponsorship for the play.
I do seek advice from credible people on what to do, especially in an environment where commercial stage plays seem new to gain new knowledge on my craft to stay in touch with current trends to appeal to the public performance.
Work experience elsewhere has been helping me better position my initiative. I have worked in an event organisation in Accra called ‘Point Blank Media Concepts’ as a Production Manager and an in-house writer.
I have also been involved in on screen. Among them are the one-time popular TV shows ‘Tentacles’ and ‘Broadway’. I have also been part of other judges to audition people for roles in acting, beauty pageants and cultural events in schools and beyond.
I currently work as a Programmes Officer at the Centre for National Culture, Northern Region, and we have collaborated with UNICEF-Ghana, USAID/SPRING, Savana Signatures, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Lands Commission, and Ghana Aids Commission to bring about desired change, all through the Northern sector geared toward best practices and motivation for communities, young people, girls and women.
DM-SALT Drama Mansion is the name of my production organisation based in Tamale. DM-SALT Drama Mansion is unique because first of all, it stands as one enterprise that has produced stage plays consistently for six years on different topical issues to bring about change, leading to best practices in the Northern Region.
We have staged plays on themes from the appreciation of both sexes of children – and not preferences of boys over girls; these include HIV causes, prevention, treatment, test and treat policy through to financial and spiritual preparation toward old age and pension.
Amid challenges, we do not stop. We have not made any profit since we started production but we will keep moving. We adjust and move on to grow society in our small way. We are also unique because our desire is to be an edutainment tool for society; and by far, it has been bitter-sweet touching lives. With time, we will get rewards that can support us to remunerate those who work with us.
Vision for the initiative
As a team, we pray and hope to produce five more December stage plays to educate, entertain and inform the public about our cultural heritage. The shows also serve as relief for stress and relaxation because they are mostly held on weekends or on holidays.
One of our priorities is also to establish Schools’ Drama Razzmatazz, involving at least 15 schools with collaboration from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to educate our generation with culture as well as imbibe in them the spirit of patriotism. We wish to promote businesses with drama using an initiative dubbed: ‘Office/ Event Drama Tours’, and follow any other relevant trends which may evolve within the five years.
Challenges
The major challenge has been funding. Stage production is a business on its own, and requires money to pay actors and service providers for lighting, costumes, publicity, props, transportation, etc. Hence, funding is key. With support from the government and other corporate organisations, it would help achieve the set goals for the nation while contributing our quota to the promotion of domestic tourism.
Also, some individuals and companies promise to help but fail perhaps, due to the unavailability of resources at the time of our production, but it is all part of the learning process. We never stop learning.
I, however, wish to acknowledge the Centre for National Culture – NR, Tuma Prestige, Next Pixel Images, Savana Opticals, and Ellis Events for supporting us over the years.
Stage play falls under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts, so a specific financial quota should be put aside for stage play productions for educational and entertainment purposes, especially in the basic schools since the drama has benefits for school children and aids teaching and learning in and outside the classroom.
Opportunities should also be given at tourist sites for performances at a fee that could become an income-generation avenue for those in the field, the community and the nation as a whole.
Stage play production is a wonderful business for serious-minded people. The financial rewards don’t come easily, so patience is required. Above all, the development of the crafts on daily bases will be helpful so they don’t rust. Fame can also be destructive if not handled properly, so they should be humble at every stage of production.
The public can reach and support us by patronising our performances and supporting us in cash and/or in kind. As they get to know the details of what we do, they will appreciate our work and where necessary, contact us for collaboration to promote local businesses.
In addition, we have recently started support for schoolgirls who cannot afford sanitary pads and underwear called ‘The Red Girl Project’ in the Northern Region. It was initiated by Miss Abigail Mawunyo Letsa, a 12-year-old pupil of Etoile Royale Educational Centre, Tamale.
The purpose is to give schoolgirls with vulnerable backgrounds safe and sound menstruation in order to stay in school with comfort to learn toward their goals in life.
Antoinette Letsa is a passionate playwright and Director of DM-SALT Drama Mansion, a Theatre Arts Enterprise based in Tamale. She has a BA in Theatre Arts (Playwriting) and Information Studies from the University of Ghana and an MA in Development Communication from the University for Development Studies, with over 50 plays produced. Antoinette is also a Programmes Officer at the Centre for National Culture in Northern Region and has collaborated with various organisations to bring about change in the Northern Sector. She explains how she aims to use theatre to inform, counsel, entertain and educate society, especially young people, women and girls.
Antoinette Letsa can be reached on [email protected] or 0244 611 883 (Call or WhatsApp)
