Among the Nigerian playwrights who came to prominence during the 1970s and have continued to be productive, Bode Sowande is a major figure. He works mostly in English and has written almost exclusively for theater buildings equipped with modern technology, but he draws extensively on Yoruba sources, makes use of Yoruba songs, and in his recent work has moved toward Yoruba-language theater and flexible staging. His writing shows his preoccupation with the dilemma facing a man of integrity trying to maintain humane values and moral qualities in a corrupt world. He has used his often highly theatrical dramas to call for change and repeatedly asks for his plays to be produced without an intermission, clearly hoping to make as great an impact on his audience as possible. In addition to writing plays, Sowande is a director and the founder of a high-profile drama company, Odu Themes, which has...