Yaaay!!! Guess who had an endorsement from the king of modern Ghanaian theatre, Uncle Ebo Whyte, as his successor this week― yours truly. To me, it was a mixed feeling of joy and pride to have my works appreciated by the prolific writer whose works keep shaping lives of both the young and old.
Of a truth, theatre in Ghana has gained some good prominence courtesy Uncle Ebo Whyte’s relentless efforts to sustain it with all his resources. I have always remarked that theatre is expensive― not only financially but mentally― and it beats my mind how he is able create content every quarter. Writing a full length, original play is mentally stressful but he does so effortlessly. If that is not ingenuity, then it is nothing else!
I have personally known Uncle Ebo Whyte since the days of my first play in 2015 until now. He has been of great support to my career and it comes as no surprise to have him endorse me live on Facebook in such a heart-warming style. In case you missed out on it, kindly go search for Episode 8 of FOOD FOR THOUGHT which was streamed live on his Facebook page on Monday, August 12th.
I have learnt a lot from the man, Uncle Ebo Whyte, and he is a great institution many young people should try to learn from. If you want to be the best of yourself, you have to, at least, learn from those who have been the best of themselves.
The success magic of life is consistency!
Uncle Ebo appears to be one of the most successful entertainers and event organizers in Ghana currently. He has one of the most loyal patrons as far as indoor events in Ghana are concerned; not even Vodafone Ghana Music Awards match up to him in terms of patronage. Running his show two weekends per quarter, he is able is to gather about 12,000 theatre lovers every quarter. For every year, he is able to accommodate over 50,000 patrons in the National Theatre!
Guess what. Despite his overwhelming success, he has always kept the standards of his productions. If you have followed his works over the past few years, one word that keeps coming back to you is “consistency”.
Indeed, failure will test every man’s persistence and success, their consistence. When you become a success, don’t take your standards for granted. The magic behind sustainable success is consistency. No matter how successful you become, don’t be complacent!
The Ghanaian is also capable of excellence!
Back in the day, when Ghanaian events were made mention of, everyone looked to the snake of mediocrity hanging on the cross. For it to be a local event, it had to start two hours later than the stipulated time. One person who changed the narrative was Uncle Ebo Whyte. You can’t afford to attend his event late!
The Ghanaian can also be excellent. If you have attended his plays before, you will attest to the quality of time and all other resources invested into the production. The sound quality is spotless. The costumes are awesome. Everything is great!
We can have local brands that can match up to international standards. The black skin is not a synonym of bad quality. You can also be an excellent person. It is not beyond you!
Age is but a number!
The passion which drives his productions is overwhelming. I sometimes wonder where such a sexagenarian gets all the crazy, youthful ideas from; the choice of songs, trending social media news and new dance moves. It all points to one thing― age is just a number. Only one thing can limit your capabilities. That thing is your mindset, not your age.
You can dream all you can at whatever age. Give that dream all the attention and you will be amazed how well it will turn out. Our age only keeps track of how long we have been on earth not how much we have on the inside of us. There is so much on the inside. Pour it out!
If you are young, dream big. While you get older, dream even bigger. If you think your age is anything to go by, just have a good look at Uncle Ebo Whyte. Be inspired.
The work of a dream is teamwork!
Uncle Ebo has incessantly praised his team for being an integral part of his success story. Indeed, carefully observing how they go all out for their productions to be successful points to the fact that we all need people to help us climb life’s ladder. We can’t climb all alone.
It is unfortunate how many people can’t leverage on other people’s strength to get to where they need to be. No man has it all. No man ever knows it all. We all need others who have what we don’t have to get to where we desire to be.
Every dream needs a team. Even God needed two other people to create the world. If you want to go far in this life, you definitely need the help of others who share in that desire, too. Don’t be a loner!
The best moment is now!
We all want the best moment to come for us to chase our dreams. The uncomfortable truth is that there’s never a best moment. There’s never a good time to swim. The only time is now. If you are waiting for life’s troubling waves to subside before you lunge at your dreams, you may wait forever.
If you have observed Uncle Ebo Whyte for a while, you will notice that he is living his dreams all he can; instead of waiting for some opportune time to do so. He takes risks. The kind of stories he dares sometimes leaves me awestruck. That is the power of knowing that you don’t have eternity to yourself. All you have is today. Chase that dream!
By Kobina Ansah
The writer is a Ghanaian playwright and Chief Scribe of Scribe Communications (www.scribecommltd.com), an Accra-based writing firm.