BY DAYO ADESULU

Parents are sup-posed to be the custodians of their children , but recent developments in the society has revealed that many parents instead of inculcating the right values to their children have resorted to impacting the wrong ideals to them to the extent of abusing them sexually. This was brought to the fore recently when the students of Queensland Academy, Okota, Lagos displayed their acting skills in an entertaining and educative drama titled Shame.

The play which was written and directed by Mr John Francis Ozekhome, a playwright and teacher from Queensland Academy, Okota, Lagos provided the students the opportunity to showcase their acting skills, an action that sent strong warning to the current Nollywood stars that the best is yet to come in the movie business.

Parading the young and vibrant casts from the school, the 60 minutes drama held at the school auditorium attracted the presence of notable dignitaries including the parents/guardians of the students, students of the school and those from other schools. .

As the title suggests ,the play a fictional and fascinating tale provides an insight into what many innocent children are passing through in the hands of the elders especially their parents in the society with particular reference to how badly sexual abuse of children has eating deeply into the society . The story line chronicles an unforeseen event that occurred to a teenage girl {Vera Bright} born to an influential and well-respected successful businessman Richard Bright. Vera Bright, the only daughter lived a secret life of torment far beyond the facade lay of an unbearable reality as a result of what she suffered in the hands of his own biological father. After the death of Vera’s mother, Richard Bright capitalizes on the innocency of his pretty young daughter and abused her sexually. This happened for years and subjected her to live with a hellish, physical and psychological sexual abuse that eventually forced her to challenge her father in an unprecedented court case that exposes the long- hidden truth behind a most sordid act that ended with the imprisonment of Richard Bright.

According to the director of the play, the aim of the play is to warn parents against capitalizing on the innocency of their children to abuse them sexually and to also caution children against concealing such abuse, but to rather cry out for help before the situation gets out of hands. Besides, the play suggests that children should never stay alone with adults and allow them to fondle with their bodies. Moreover, the drama sends a message of warning to all and sundry that sexual immorality has no respect for children, biological parents, relations or aged. Beware!

The stage was set to suit a modern house with all the necessary gadgets that make up a wealthy man’s house and in a typical law court with the judge and the lawyers who delivered the judgement. The costume of each of the actors were appropriate to suit the level of the play.

But in all, it was an interesting play, well acted by the teenage actors who are just coming up.