Below is the action analysis (as seen by the dramaturg). Again, this is meant to serve as a jumping point for conversations and thought surrounding the world of the play and its characters.
Act 1
Prologue
What is literally happening?
The characters stand in a line (like deities), speaking proclamations.
NOTE: Do we want them to be their characters? Themselves as actors? The Orisha deities? Each one will say and establish something different for the atmosphere and tone of the play.
What is the essential action?
To get the audience to understand who Oya is to them and to the story.
Tactics
To establish, to dictate, to set, to evoke
What is the need?
Oya needs to be inside herself. The ensemble needs the audience to recognize Oya's importance.
Scene 1
What is literally happening?
Oya is leaving for a track meet and is stopped by Mama Moja.
What is the essential action?
To get Mama Moja to let her leave the porch.
NOTE: In this moment, Oya is desperately trying to leave the porch of their house, but for the rest of the play, she never leaves it.
Tactics
To ask, to beg, to plead
What is the need?
Oya needs to go to her track meet. Mama Moja needs Oya to be careful, to care about more than just running.
Scene 2
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegba is asking Mama Moja for money to get candy.
What is the essential action?
To get Mama Moja to give him money.
Tactics
To plead, to beg, to convince, to manipulate
What is the need?
Elegba needs money to buy candy.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Mama Moja is sitting in her chair on the porch as Elegba tells her of a dream he had.
What is the essential action?
To get Mama Moja to interpret his dream.
Tactics
To persuade, to convince, to ask, to inquire, to understand
What is the need?
Elegba needs Mama Moja to tell him what his dream means.
Scene 3
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
A crowd is watching Oya as she finishes her track meet.
What is the essential action?
To let Oya know she is supported.
Tactics
To support, to cheer, to celebrate, to encourage
What is the need?
The ensemble needs Oya to know she is seen and supported.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
The Man From State approaches Oya to offer her a scholarship.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to accept a scholarship and run for his team.
Tactics
To offer, to give, to award
What is the need?
Man From State needs Oya to accept his scholarship offer.
Scene 4
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Ogun visits Oya on her front porch.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to be his girl.
Tactics
To tell, to admit, to announce, to convince
What is the need?
Ogun needs Oya to hear him out.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango visits Oya on her front porch, interrupting Ogun.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to have sex with him.
Tactics
To flirt, to persuade, to compliment, to advance
What is the need?
Shango needs Oya to sleep with him.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Mama Moja enters the front porch, telling Shango to leave.
What is the essential action?
To get Shango to leave.
Tactics
To banish, to disarm, to push
What is the need?
Mama Moja needs Shango to leave her porch (and Oya).
Scene 5
What is literally happening?
Oya meets up with the Man From State about the scholarship offer.
What is the essential action?
To get Man From State to wait a year for her.
Tactics
To postpone, to decline, to deny, to reject
What is the need?
Oya needs more time with Mama Moja.
Scene 6
What is literally happening?
Mama Moja is walking to the river, led by Aunt Elegua who is creating a path for her; Oya follows.
NOTE: What does it mean for Aunt Elegua to be here? We haven't seen her until this moment.
What is the essential action?
To get Mama Moja to come back to the house.
Tactics
To plead, to beg, to pull, to grieve
What is the need?
Oya needs Mama Moja to stay. Mama Moja needs to pass on.
Scene 7
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegba visits Oya, grieving Mama Moja's passing.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to give him comfort.
Tactics
To ask, to grieve, to weep, to search, to reach
What is the need?
Elegba needs comfort from Oya.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango visits Oya to offer condolences and tell her how he feels about her.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to acknowledge his feelings for her.
Tactics
To tell, to confront, to admit, to inform
What is the need?
Shango needs Oya to know how he feels.
Scene 8
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango and Oya are yelling at each other in her house because Shango doesn't want her all over him.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to get off him.
Tactics
To push, to shove, to remove
What is the need?
Shango needs Oya to give him space. Oya needs comfort.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Aunt Elegua is checking up on Oya.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to talk to her.
Tactics
To approach, to rant, to exude
What is the need?
Elegua needs to find comfort.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango comes out on the porch, and Elegua is now interrogating the both of them.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to tell her the truth about Shango.
Tactics
To twist, to pull, to extract
What is the need?
Elegua needs to know what is going on between Oya and Shango.
Fourth Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegua is interrogating Shango about his intentions while she ensures that Oya is still going to go off to school in the Fall.
What is the essential action?
To get Shango to tell her the truth. To get Oya to promise that her priorities are straight.
Tactics
To investigate, to pry, to inquire, to dig
What is the need?
Elegua needs to know that Oya is in a good position and not being taken advantage of.
Scene 9
What is literally happening?
Shango leaves as Elegba enters, panting and laughing, followed by O Li Roon who is demanding that Elegba stop stealing from his candy shop.
What is the essential action?
To get Elegba to stop stealing candy.
Tactics
To chastise, to demean, to scare, to ensure
What is the need?
Elegba needs candy. O Li Roon needs Elegba to stop stealing candy.
Scene 10
What is literally happening?
Man From State meets up with Oya.
What is the essential action?
To get Man From State to not take away her scholarship.
Tactics
To convince, to plead, to beg, to reason
What is the need?
Oya needs the track scholarship.
Scene 11
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango enters in a military uniform to tell Oya some news.
What is the essential action?
To get Shango to break up with her.
Tactics
To convince, to stab, to push
What is the need?
Oya needs Shango to stay. Shango needs to leave.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Ensemble gathers onstage, commenting on Oya in her current predicament.
NOTE: In this moment (similar to the prologue), are they the characters? Actors? Orisha deities?
What is the essential action?
To get the audience to understand what is happening to Oya.
Tactics
To inform, to describe, to paint, to depict
What is the need?
The ensemble needs the audience to understand the pain Oya is feeling and how it is affecting her.
Scene 12
What is literally happening?
Ogun visits Oya on her front porch.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to let him in, to accept his love.
Tactics
To entice, to admit, to pull, to encompass
What is the need?
Ogun needs Oya to know how he feels. Oya needs something to hold onto.
Act 2
Scene 1
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Baby shower for Sophie is happening across the way, and Oya sits on her porch, listening as Ogun comes out from the house, leaving for work.
NOTE: In this scene, Oya is treating Ogun the way that Shango treated her--"Don't be all up on me!" (p. 51)
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to do something, to care about him
Tactics
To poke, to pull, to encompass, to plead
What is the need?
Ogun needs Oya to do something other than sit on th eporch as well as to love him in the way she loves him.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegba sneaks in, seeking a place to sleep and ends up talking with Oya about how he got a girl pregnant.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to let him stay the night
Tactics
To ask, to plead, to inquire
What is the need?
Elegba needs to sleep.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango enters in his military uniform to visit with Oya.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to let him in again.
Tactics
To persuade, to caress, to flirt
What is the need?
Shango needs Oya's company.
Scene 2
What is literally happening?
Oya is coming back to her house from Shango's, approaching Elegua who is waiting for her.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to tell her information about her relationship(s) with Ogun and Shango.
Tactics
To pry, to pull, to extract
What is the need?
Elegua needs to know who Oya is seeing and why she is acting so differently.
Scene 3
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Oya is sitting on her porch as Nia and Shun approach.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to admit that she's all alone.
Tactics
To tease, to berate, to belittle
What is the need?
Nia and Shun need to feel superior to Oya.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango visits Oya after church.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to admit he's better than Ogun.
Tactics
To climb, to pry, to pull
What is the need?
Shango needs to know he's better than Ogun. Oya needs to be comforted.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Ogun comes home from work to see Shango and Oya.
What is the essential action?
To get Shango to acknowledge his presence and position with Oya.
Tactics
To boast, to establish, to ground
What is the need?
Ogun needs to mark his territory. Shango needs Oya to know he's the better choice. Oya needs someone to be hers.
Scene 4
What is literally happening?
Nia and Shun are doing laundry, gossiping.
What is the essential action?
To get Nia to tell her who Oya is sleeping with.
Tactics
To pry, to pull, to spy
What is the need?
Nia needs to know what's happening with Oya. Shun needs to know if Oya is sleeping with Shango.
Scene 5
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Ogun comes home from work to find Aunt Elegua, but no Oya.
What is the essential action?
To get Elegua to tell him where Oya is.
Tactics
To demand, to inquire, to poke
What is the need?
Ogun needs to know where Oya is and why Elegua let her leave.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Oya comes home to Ogun and Elegua.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to smile for him.
Tactics
To lift, to inspire, to comfort
What is the need?
Ogun needs Oya to smile. Oya needs to get on with her work. Elegua needs to cook the fish.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegba enters with his baby, showing Oya their shared birthmark.
What is the essential action?
To get Oya to understand his connection with his baby.
Tactics
To show, to reveal, to explain
What is the need?
Elegba needs to share how wonderful his child is.
Fourth Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango enters in his military uniform.
What is the essential action?
To tell Oya goodbye.
Tactics
To leave, to exit, to go away
What is the need?
Shango needs to say goodbye. Oya needs Shango to stay.
Scene 6
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Oya is visiting The Woman Who Reminds You.
What is the essential action?
To get The Woman Who Reminds You to make her fertile.
Tactics
To persuade, to plead, to beg
What is the need?
Oya needs to have a child one way or another.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Oya is at a dance party with a crowd of people as she makes her way through.
What is the essential action?
To get someone to give her a child.
Tactics
To search, to probe, to forage
What is the need?
Oya needs a child.
Scene 7
Oya sits on her porch, examining her life with no running, no husband, no kids.
Scene 8
First Cycle
What is literally happening?
Oya is confronting Ogun about their relationship.
What is the essential action?
To get Ogun to leave.
Tactics
To admit, to confess, to divulge
What is the need?
Oya needs Ogun to leave. Ogun needs Oya to let him stay.
Second Cycle
What is literally happening?
Elegba comes to the porch.
What is the essential action?
To inform Oya about Shango.
Tactics
To inform, to warn, to acknowledge
What is the need?
Elegba needs to tell Oya that Shango is home. Oya needs to see Shango.
Third Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shun and Nia approach Oya on her porch.
What is the essential action?
To make Oya feel alone and inadequate
Tactics
To berate, to bully, to dig
What is the need?
Shun needs Oya to back off of Shango.
Fourth Cycle
What is literally happening?
Shango approaches Oya's porch, Oya is inside before coming out.
What is the essential action?
To give Shango a part of her.
Tactics
To share, to give, to bestow, to offer
What is the need?
Oya needs Shango to keep a part of her. Shango needs to let Oya go.
Epilogue
What is literally happening?
Ensemble gathers onstage, Oya is sitting center.
What is the essential action?
To present Oya in her new condition.
Tactics
To present, to examine, to sympathize
What is the need?
The ensemble need us to know where Oya has ended up in her journey.
Comments