Good, Not Great

The whole story revolves around a girl name Oya and her journey of becoming a woman. She is a very gifted runner. However, she is also young and has trouble setting her priorities. When she is presented with an offer to run in college, she declines in order to take care of her ailing mother, Mama Moja. Mama Moja is important to Oya and protects her from all dangers including a boy named Shango. When Mama Moja dies, Shango is able to gain the favor of Oya's godmother, Elegua, and soon of Oya and they begin a relationship. Soon Shango leaves to enlist in the military and Oya is left alone. Another boy, Ogun, notices Oya being left alone and swoops in with promises of his love and one day a family.

Oya and Ogun are married now but Oya is not happy. She hears a baby shower going on next door and sees that her old friend, Elegba, has gotten a girl pregnant and is going to have a baby. Oya desperately wants a child of her own and is beginning to realize that this will not happen with her and Ogun. Shango comes back on leave from the military and is shocked to find out that Oya is not pregnant yet. He and Oya have an affair in attempts to get Oya pregnant, but they fail. Later on, Oya finds out that Shanga is having a baby with another woman, Shun. When Shanga comes by to tell Oya the news, Oya gives him a congratulatory present, her ear. She bleeds out and dies. The epilogue makes it clear that Oya was not crazy. She was just depressed.

The most important aspect of the play was Oya's longing for a child of her own. Through the play, Oya's maturing as a woman is displayed clearly. She starts out just wanting to do what she loves and enjoys doing, running. When her mother becomes ill she makes the mature decision of putting family first and taking care of her. After her mother's passing, Oya begins to develop relationships with men and this leads to the final stage of womanhood, having a child and becoming a mother. The entire second half of the play is dedicated Oya's desire to have a child. Her future happiness and well-being is at stake for her. Unfortunately she does not achieve her goal and kills herself out of sadness of not getting her true desire.

The most compelling part of the play was shown through the relationship between Oya and her mother, Mama Moja. This relationship shows how absolutely crucial a mother is in a young woman’s life. Before she died, Mama Moja was able to protect Oya from the dangers of the world, specifically Shango. When she passes, Oya is left alone to fend for herself and easily falls for the misleading Shango, which ultimately resultss with her committing suicide because she cannot have him in the end.

Although the show was performed terrifically and with seemingly zero faults, I did have a critique. Throughout the play the stage directions were said by the actors and actresses. This was very interesting and added some humor to the play, but it just did not allow me to become part of the play and have the feeling that all of this was actually happening. I feel the point of plays and live theatre is to draw the audience into the performance. I have been to a live theatre performance before and I feel that those previous shows were better for that reason. I was able to become part of the play and it was much more enjoyable. However, in this case, I was very aware I was watching a play.