By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, March 27, GNA – The National Theater of Ghana thrilled the inmates of the Senior Correctional Centre in Accra with a stellar performance of Ama Ata Aidoo’s play, “The Dilemma of Ghost” on World Theater Day 2025.
The play, a domestic satire, which focused on the dilemma of a Ghanaian man returning from abroad with his Black American wife and caught between two cultures and did not know how to guide his wife to accept her new tradition, was performed by the National Drama Company, a subsidiary of the National Theater.
The performance was in commemoration of the World Theater Day 2025, which was celebrated March 27, on the theme: “Theater and a Culture of Peace”, which aimed to
promote a culture of peace, rehabilitation and social reintegration amongst the inmates in the correctional homes through theatre.
Mr William Ashong, Programmes Manager, National Theatre, said, the play had promoted peace, tolerance and non-violence and the theme illuminated the value and importance of theatre and acted as a wake-up call for all to recognise its potential for economic growth.
He said the performance promoted social discourse, which served as a potential tool for social change, reminded the participants of how theatre shaped culture and enriched lives and promoted peace through shared stories.
Mr Ashong said the choice of the Senior Correctional Centre and the play “The Dilemma of a Ghost” resonated with identity, guilt and the consequences of the choices humans made.
“Management of the Theater believed that watching the play would enhance the understanding and performance of the inmates who are preparing for their BECE, since the play is one of the recommended textbooks for literature in English,” he said.
The Senior Correctional Centre (SCC) was established in 1947 and was under the Department of Social Welfare until 1958 when it was handed over to the Ghana Prison Service. The Centre has two sets of inmates – the juveniles who are between ages 12 and 17 and the young offenders between the ages 18 and 21.
Assistant Director of Prison (ADP) Roland Suvrbesia, Second Officer in Charge, SCC, said all they had been doing at the Centre was to correct, shape and transform the inmates who are all males into resourceful young people, adding that they had been brought to the Centre by a detention order from a court.
“The Senior Correctional Centre is like a school and not a prison. We have a formal school which is a JHS and apprentice shops for those who dropped out and cannot read nor write. Most of our boys have gained admission into SHS and universities, others are also pursuing NVTI certificate one and two,” he said.
Madam Anastasia Agyei, Deputy Director, Culture and Creative Arts, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said performing arts played a crucial role in educating, entertaining, and fostering critical thinking within our society, adding that the Creative Arts Fund established by the government was to provide financial support to the arts and creative works.
The inmates who applauded the various characters in play, exhibited their handcrafts products and took the opportunity to show their dancing prowess as they danced to current hiplife and afropop songs.
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