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hindered communication with the different ethnic groups . Rotimi 's father. who was an
engin eer. spent his leisure tim e directin g and orpniring neighbourhood concerts
which fostered communality among the various tribes. From this environment. ROOmi
was equippedto explore a variety of themes in his plays that are pertinent to the
posteo looial situation .
As a child , Rotimi had the influence of his father 's knowl edge of English, but
as he got older he received years of formal western education. From 1952- 1957, he
had his post-primary education at the prestigious Methodist Boy' s High School which
was established by British missionaries in Lagos. There Rotimi was exposed to various
tex ts in the western cano n including classical Greek, Roman and Shakespeattan
drama, as well as the works of Plato and Aristotle . Being in a missionary-run school.
he would have been also exposed to Christian M edieval drama. the cycle and Morality
plays that were taught and performed as part of the Chrisana.s and Easter celebrations.
In 1959 . Rotimi woo a scbolanhip from the Nigerian Federal Government (Q
continue his education at Bostoa University in the United States of America. He
pursued a four- year undergraduate degree in drama with a majo r in directing and a
mino r in playwriting . After grad uating in 1963. he received a Rockefeller Foundation
scholarshi p and co mpleted a Masters degreein playwri ting (minor in direc ting) at Yale
unive rsity . With the oppo rtunity for post-secondary educatio n overseas. Rotimi became
further steeped in the western dramaticart forms and conventions. In his interview
with Bemth Lindfors in Don Say: lmeniewr with Eight Nigerian Wrirtn, Rotimi
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