Drums
Drums That Dance In The Dark
Nduka Onwuegbute

Reviewed by Vanessa Lee

Okay, I admit it. I'm one of those people who completely miss most messages in books. Authors, if you're trying to say something to me, you'd better come right out and say it. I read for a good story and great characters. I can appreciate a marvelous wordsmith. Without a literature class with which to discuss a book, however, I'm likely going to miss any message a book may contain.

All that is probably why I was left with a confused expression on my face after I read Drums that Dance in the Dark – twice. To give Onwuegbute credit, plays are ultimately meant to be performed and watched, not read, and the basics of some of what I enjoy are there. There's enough in dialogue and stage direction that an actor would be able to provide good characterization through movement, expression, and costuming, for example. It's an interesting premise, and the dialogue and story line held my  

I was just left feeling like I missed  

Even so, it was worth the read, and should I have the opportunity to see it performed, I'd take advantage of it. It would be very interesting to see how the different characters are interpreted and the way that the actors' interpretations change the written word. I would be curious to see if a performance would answer the questions I had when I got to the end of the  

Ultimately, I think that Drums that Dance in the Dark is a clever play. Readers who like puzzling out meaning and delving deeper for messages will probably really enjoy it. Those who don't may be left with questions at the end, but there is still plenty there to enjoy.


Publisher Web Site
From Publisher web site:
"A community is damned never to dance. Malleah and his family go on the warpath to challenge their status quo with dire consequences.
Book Description
Utse has just realised her son’s fate because he danced, violating the taboo of dancing (the third to meet such mysterious circumstances). History is about to repeat itself and the tragedy to come is all too familiar.

Her daughter, Gada, sets loose the emotions that come to the fore. But while Utse and her husband, Malleah, fight against the odds, the seeds of betrayal know no bounds. Utse and her husband put the wheels in motion to reinforce the ban, but then behind their every turn, sedition prevails. Utse’s is the cry of war, war with the family she loves, war on the home front. And when all is done, the men walk free, leaving Utse to come to terms with her innocent daughter.

“Drums that Dance in the Dark” was first written in 1994, performed 1995, as a competition entry entitled “The Last Dancer’s Will”. An update version was written in 1997 called: “Dancing the Fool”. The original performance never made it to the competition because the powers that be had vested interests elsewhere.

It is ironic, and disgracefully tragic, that the same ills this play explores come to hold its publication for another 12 years."