Orature as a Tool for Rural Women's Self-Liberation in Tess Osonye Onwueme's Then She Said It

The situation of environmental degradation and pollution are global concerns. In Nigeria, oil pipelines discharge petroleum waste that endangers the ecosystem. Forests, farmland and water are polluted by the oil spills. Several voices are raised to join that of Ken Soro Wiwa killed in 1995. Unfortunately, rural women are doubly affected. As the first exploiters of agricultural and water resources, they witness the sterilization of their land and the poisoning of water by chemicals that lead to famine and soil degradation. The main objective of the work is to identify the different types of oral performance used by women in the play "Then she said it" by Tess Onwueme and analyze the techniques and strategies used to overcome the dilemma. To resolve the research problem which centered on the impact of oral performance in drama, the study adopted a quantitative design that builds on sociological criticism, Africana womanism and also on thematic content analysis. The study concluded that the cultural heritage can be used as an armament in voicing out behavior likely to destroy the social quietude. As leading effort, government must acknowledge the work of the women in general and the rural women in particular in the formal decision process in their respective communities as far as soil resources are concerned.