Lisette Malung took the French Cultural Center in Yaoundé hostage on February 24, 2023. The venue was filled to capacity as hundreds from far and wide came to watch her work, ‘Three Ladies With A Precious Stone’, performed by the Visionary Theatre Troupe.
The bilingual performance kicked off at 7 p.m. as planned, and the show was nothing short of a masterpiece, a show with every last piece fitting perfectly into the giant puzzle. It tells the story of three ladies who brave the odds to seek the Ancestor, one they believe has the answer to their worries.
Their quest definitely pays off as the Ancestor does not fail to highlight the importance of both sexes complimenting each other. He delivered a brief but insightful declaration on the need to place the girl child on the same pedestal as her male counterpart, giving them both the fair chance of getting a shot at life.
‘Three Ladies With A Precious Stone’ is an advocacy piece for the emancipation of the girl child who in many communities today, remains tethered to the kitchen. While her male counterparts go on and explore the world and become whatever they so desire, the girl child is made to programmed to be subservient, discriminated upon from birth to death.
My only reservation? How apt would it have been if the ancestor was a female? New dimension right?
The play was aimed at unveiling the hidden truths and it would have served its purpose much better if in the end, we got to realize the ancestor too was female. In most cases the role of women ancestors and heroines in our ‘local’ stories remain relegated to the background.
The awareness is on the rise (remember Ngonnso’?) and the performance last night would definitely have been an amazing avenue to drive home once more the message of women ancestors.
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Lisette revealed that while the performance was first done in 2017, it took her a month and two weeks to have it set up for last night’s show. While the casting according to her was quite simple, the bigger challenge was the delicate nature of her subject matter.
“My only challenge was this fear because I am talking about the woman. It is very delicate… what was going to be my judgment at the end of this production?”
Coming less than two weeks to the International Women’s Day, it is a succinct example of what celebrating and encouraging women should be like. The show could not have been possible with Lisette alone. She had an amazing team, from costume designer to lighting, sound and props.
Giyo Ndzi
