Recently, the beloved Ghanaian playwright Ebo Whyte brought laugher to the National Theater while addressing the issue of false prophesies in his latest play I Want Your Wife. Five Americans all the way from Oregon were among the Ghanaians laughing along with every joke. We watched as Ben and Abena struggled with the prophecy which told Abena to leave Ben for Mr. Yeboah, the rich church deacon.

Seeing this play was my first time attending the theater in Ghana. It was a completely different experience than what can be seen in theaters around the United States. It is normal to sit quietly in our seats and watch as the drama unfolds as an uninvolved spectator. However, the theater in Ghana is something else entirely and I experienced true Ghanaian culture as I watched the actors grapple with knowing what to believe and trust.

The way this play was presented made it easy to understand why people in the crowd became so involved. The characters were relatable, and the actors interpreted their roles so well that it was easy to believe this story was based on true events. By the end of the play I found myself chiming in every time they said, “We serve a God that sits up there, and looks down low, and sends down prophecies.”

It is important to experience culture and learn about what is important to others. Attending this play helped me do just that. So far, my three weeks in Ghana have been a whirlwind and a crash course in Ghanaian culture. I appreciated being able to sit down and watch as a story unfolded before me. I think that theater, and acting in particular, is an easy way to peek in to local culture. This play showed me the intricacies of church culture in Ghana as well as the problems that Ghanaians think are apparent.