1 2 The bamboo wall included a mask and cups that simulated gongs. 1 3 The community celebrates with the ritualized Harvest Dance. 1 4 The death of Queen Ojuola The specificity and meaning found in Yoruba wood sculpture applies to metalworking as well. Under the supervision of the head of the props program, Tom Fiocchi, students learned how to adapt standard metal-working techniques to create non-western weaponry. The swords in the Yoruba research were very personalized and all had different blade shapes and handle types (figure 10). In the Yoruba culture, swords and metal objects all represent the deity Ogun. Ogun is the god of iron and technology, of war and defense. One of the central scenic and symbolic elements of the play was the shrine to Ogun. Here King Odewale knelt before a rock adorned with sacred objects and swore on his sword that he would find the murderer who had brought the curse on the community (figure 11). Swearing an oath to Ogun is seen as a \/\/\/ \/ \/ \/...we serious promise that will bring extreme retribution if broken. Dr. Irobi told the actors that in Yoruba courts today, people who testify are given the choice of swearing on the Bible or to Ogun. Many choose the Bible in fear of the wrath of Ogun if they should break the oath. In some cases, the trick to creating a specific look is just finding the right materials. The play called for bowls made of gourds, so the propmaster hunted down actual gourds. Taking the time to get the real item saved time in the long run and produced a better look than trying to replicate a gourd. On the other hand, the women in the cast were blocked to dance with earthen pots on their heads-but real pots would have been far too heavy. So the shop used chicken wire and paper mache to simulate rough earthenware. interwove strips of cloth similar to the costume textiles vertically into the wall. TD & T S P R I N G 2 0 0 5 37