AKOLO Anthony James (a.k.a Akolo J.T) is a Jos-based thespian, writer and instrumentalist. He is a member of the Jos Repertory Theatre (JRT) and a member of some leading theatre companies in Nigeria. He also hosts campus concerts. He, as well, writes for some magazines. In this interview with TONY OKUYEME, Akolo discloses how the influence of his father and pressure from his older siblings challenged and shaped his creative mind and helped ultimately in his career as an actor and a writer. Contrary to the erroneous belief that acting is characterised by immorality, he also posits that it is a sacred profession.
The setting was all too well-laid. He had looked forward to the day with anticipation and anxiety. While he was excited to be on stage along with his classmates then to give life to a written script, the thought of standing face-to-face with the audience – made up of his teachers and other students – made him consider leaving. But something in him urged him on; that he could do it, and he knew he could indeed do it, having developed interest in acting at an early stage and been practising at home prior to that moment.
However, how he was going to overcome stage fright was the problem. As the time drew nearer, his heartbeat appeared to increase with every ticking of the clock. Eventually, the moment came and he mounted the stage, and from then on, as he put it, the spells of the stage cast their lights upon him.
“There are things I would want to remember and those I wish never happened. I remember my first time professionally on stage. At first, after seeing the audience and their sophisticated looks, I had to visit the rest room and freshen up just to calm down. And to my surprise, I did well. The moment I let out my first line, I had a hit on my confidence and that led me through. Honestly, after the performance, I felt high and proud of myself. I dialed my girlfriend’s number and told her that for the first time since we met; I acted without her on my mind. The spells of the stage cast their lights upon my whole being and all that would have mattered was who I was on stage. And it was beautiful after all. I think that confession caused a break up between us,” James recalled with palpable nostalgia.
According to him, as time went on, he enjoyed the adventure of hitting the stage. “I narrate poems, sing music and more fun filled, I acted. And overtime, it became another kind of an affair.”
But he also has what he described as embarrassing moments. “When I misunderstood the point, the embarrassment came. I took my lines for granted at rehearsals and on stage, the three counting factors to a good performance (i.e. space, time and pressure) were so much against me.
I expected my audience to understand my lines it did not seem to. I was thrown off balance and the lines evaporated, being the volatile liquid resting upon the mind. And that day, I was messed. Again, it was in an open space and the clouds at some point threatened a downpour. I finished up that day and could not look at my director in the face.”
Born in mid 80s, in a then downtown of Kaduna called Rigasa, Akolo is from Nasarawa State and have lived in Kaduna, Minna and Jos. His career as an theatre practitioner has taken him to a few more states. His father, according to him, is retired civil servant who loves living in the outskirts of Niger State, enjoying his hobby: farming, while his mother is a trader. “I have five brothers with only one of them younger than me,” he said.
His flare for writing music (he plays the guitar and the piano) and acting, was discovered early in his childhood.
“Growing up was quite an exciting experience and now stands as a memory I cherish. I cannot remember what happened twenty five years ago, but I can say that some twenty four years ago, I found myself existing on the face of the earth as a child trying to understand the mysteries of living. Having four realistic older ones, I felt stigmatized because I cherished my fantasies. I could be alone, soliloquizing in my fantasies. My mum thought that that was a mark of playfulness; my brothers thought that I was just being foolish. However, I had my world and enjoyed the company the voices emanating from it offered.
“I could stay and imagine myself in a situation and act the way I was going to react to whatever challenge that should come with it. Of course, all I did was to create imaginary possible challenges. It was so serious that my mum (being a superstitious kind) could beat me real hard. She thought I was making it to either being carried away or that I was trying to get possessed. At a point, I went up to my father and asked if my mum was my real mother. He, being particularly attracted to me, would tell her to let me be. My greatest favor came when he wanted me to stay with him in his place of civil service transfer where he is now settled.”
According to him, he got to the outskirts of town, that was Shiroro dam. “My father and I were a pair so blended that I never felt threatened living with him. He went to work very early in the morning and came back late in the evening. I felt liberation round my head like a crown. Not that I had friends I hung out with. No. I simply was a loner in my world of imaginations. I could jump into a character and act in such a way that I felt satisfied. If you want to know what that means then you must believe this illustration:
“Sometimes, after watching how a pupil is being punished in school, I could come home and jump into the character of the teacher and assume a tree or some object as the student. I would whip thoroughly the tree, picturing it as a student. Of course, to my neighbours, I was a child heading to be a non smart kind. Some of the kids were encouraged not to be like me. But at that, I could never get discouraged. The greatest favor I do to myself to myself till this day is being me.
“To a large extent, growing up was an adventure and I wonder what I would have been, being under the shadow of my superstitious mum. Of course, life would not have been as beautiful as it is if I had not grown up in my rich fantasies.”
For him, the world is a mighty stage where he is a character who must act his role diligently. “I feel being watched by the heavenly beings. Since I have this mentally, it goes much ahead to say that I see acting and performing to be a kind of a lifetime affair. Those who do not get fulfilled in life are those who are not properly in their character. Thus, whenever I take unto the stage, I limit the world to the stage and my time, energy and space is given into my role at that point in time. At such times, the whole auditorium is like the heavenly spectators and my lifetime being the minutes on stage.”
However, his ambition, he disclosed, is to bring the work of art into a more vivid and unified picture. “I want to be able to fuse Music, narrations of tales, fables and poetry, choreography and acting into one inseparable art form such that the choreography standing out, tells the story line, the music standing out does the same as well as the other mentioned arts.
“My mentors are of course non-conflicting many. My present theatre boss is a mentor I look up to in the art of directing and theatre management. His humor, his boundary in relationship with his characters and the creative way he makes out an interesting performance of plays is something to look up to. In terms of theater management, Mr. Patrick-Jude is a meticulous kind. Looking at acting, men like Olu Jacobs have inspired my understanding of what acting should be. Even though I would not like to be more of a camera actor- but rather a theatric performer- I think the man is a great actor. And in terms of writing and Music, I look up to the likes of Asha and Helon Habila and Ben Okri.
“I act for the Jos Repertory Theatre under Jude Patrick Oteh. Well, the much I can say is how much the theatre thrives in making me better.”
As for regret; James says none, but he has doubts. “Well, I would not say I have regrets. But as a normal human, sometimes, fear finds a way of creeping into me and thus, making me to doubt the true picture of the future. Such fears becloud the light shining at the end of the tunnel. Looking at the typical Nigerian society, you don’t dare become an actor and live a normal life independent of the characters you are known as. One could say that the jokes or stories of people stoning some actors for bad roles acted could be construed. Such things would tend to send fear into you.
“But acting is a joyful thing to do and since doing it presents me as being myself, I have never had regrets being an actor. I am a brooding playwright and I am considering directing also. My plans at the moment are to explore the theatre and make it more exciting in whatever capacity either as a director, playwright or an actor. So for this year, I shall put my best into working myself to doing better than I use to. Before this year runs out, I hope the stage would not regret casting its spell on me.”
Reviewing the sector, James said part of the challenges was that a lot of Nigerians jump into the profession for the love of the money and fame but not because they love doing it, adding that there was need to sensitise the many intending artistes that acting was much more than the money or being some celebrity. “It is a spiritual (not religious per say) obligation also. Well, do not get me wrong, the money is important. I make money from my career. But it is not the end to my means, but a means to my end. And my end is to be a fulfilled being , happy that I explored my talents. Then from there we can take it to the society.
“The people must come to terms that acting is a sacred profession and responsible people could still act. Well, I can vouch for myself being responsible. The stigmatization of the actors must stop.
“More importantly, what we need in this sector is more investment. The involvement of the government cannot be overemphasized. Unfortunately, this generation cries painfully of a failed parenthood. Our parents have failed us. Our theatres are almost non functional and most times, are being used for wedding receptions. An average youth like me, tries to find a channel through I can pass my energies. But sincerely, the platforms are becoming dead. Nollywood would be too congested if we all go there. Thus, for us who are live performance inclined, I think it is high time more and more platforms are created so that people may enjoy the beauty of arts in their more natural state.”
