Adaptation and the Individual Talent: An Intertextual Reading of Who’s Afraid of Solarin?

Abstract

A substantial amount of African dramatic works are adapted diversely from
those of older Classical, Elizabethan, Modern and even African playwrights.
This reveals that the writers admit to being influenced by those playwrights
yet elements of their own creative imagination are noticeable in the plays.
These creative tendencies in the plays refute the claim that adaptation is akin
to imitation. Using one of Osofisan’s adapted plays as the bedrock for its
position it is the contention of this essay therefore that the art of adapting
plays is not tantamount to the practice of slavish imitation.. Through a vivid
exposition of the different materials that go into the making of Who’s Afraid
of Solarin?, the paper hypothesizes that adaptation and creative artistry can
produce classics at the end.