The Marriage of Anansewa: Characters

A Ghanaian playwright, director, dramatist, and children's author.

A cultural play about a father testing his daughter's suitors for financial strength.

The daughter of Ananse, around twenty years old, obedient and submissive.

She is the main character who pretends to die in her father's scheme.

The father of Anansewa, cunning and initially poor, who schemes to improve his financial status.

The central character who uses his daughter's marriage to escape poverty.

Ananse's mother and Anansewa's grandmother, who believes in traditional customs.

Ananse's aunt and Anansewa's grandaunt, who is accommodating and important in the outdooring ceremony.

Ananse's lover, who helps Anansewa prepare for marriage and plays a role in the fake funeral.

Makes the audience aware of events, alternates between speech and song.

Poverty, wit & cunning, love & materialism, matchmaking, and African marital tradition.

Ananse's desire to rise to a higher social rank through his daughter's marriage.

Ananse's intelligence and mischievousness in overcoming challenges.

Ananse intertwines true love with his own desire for financial gain through his daughter’s marriage.

A third party brings a couple together often for selfish gain with true love.

Bride price and head-drink signify a marital union in African culture.

Payment for the bride which is important in African culture as the true sign of the marital union, without which no marriage can be regarded as legal

Head drinks symbolizes key moments in the marriage

Transitioning from girl hood to womanhood

A yearly celebration of Efua Sutherland who contributed to both theatre and children's literature in Ghana.

Ananse's cunning stems from his ability to adapt and cleverly exploit situations for personal gain, mirroring the trickster archetype found in folklore.

The interplay reveals a society where economic survival often outweighs genuine affection, challenging the purity of relationships.

Raises questions about agency, tradition, and the commodification of women in traditional marriage practices, encouraging audiences to reflect on cultural norms and their impact on individual freedoms.

Ananse's relentless pursuit of wealth and status through any means necessary, even at the expense of his daughter's happiness, serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition.

The portrayal of love as both genuine and transactional underscores the complex interplay between emotions and economic considerations in marriage, offering a nuanced perspective on the institution.

The play's blending of oral storytelling traditions with theatrical elements creates an immersive and culturally rich experience for audiences, blurring the lines between reality and performance, inviting spectators to actively engage with the narrative.

Ananse's deception ultimately unravels, exposing the hollowness of his schemes and the importance of integrity and sincerity in human relationships.

Serve as a vehicle for social commentary and cultural preservation, offering a platform for marginalized voices to be heard and highlighting the importance of preserving cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world.

The role is to transition the play between reality.

The goal is to showcase her potential qualities to a potentional partner.