Dorothy Mamle Amanor-A light ready to shine

By Bernard Yaw ASHIADEY

In a world where feminists are trying to rub shoulders with male chauvinists, one lady stands tall with not just one but a multiplicity of talents that leaves the masculine race in awe.

Dorothy Mamle Amanor, actress, fashion designer and communicator, is among the very few young Ghanaian women who can boast of that rare combination of beauty and brains.

As an actress, Dorothy was a standout when she appeared on stage in Uncle Ebo’s most recent play, Everyone Has A Secret, where she combined beauty, elegance and confidence in a performance that wowed the audience.

Birthed and groomed in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, Dorothy loved entertainment, reading and writing from her days in Okuapeman Secondary School, which she completed in 2004.

With a very strict father to contend with, she felt caged in her early life but said the strict upbringing rather helped her and her siblings grow up into very responsible adults, who have remained united as a family despite the demise of their father a few years ago.

“When we were young we thought we were being caged because most of our friends were free to do lots of stuff that we could not do. They used to play in the neighbourhood, watched TV anytime they wished, but we couldn’t because of Daddy’s eagle eyes on us.

“But that training really has helped us a lot because looking at my life now it actually was the best thing to happen to me. Our family is still very united even though two of them are married and have moved away from home,” she stated.

After reading science in secondary school, she went to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for an initial two-year diploma programme in communications, which she later upgraded to a Bachelor of Arts, with First Class honours, in Communications Studies last year.

Dorothy now has her own company, Doty D-Zynes, which specialises in dresses and shoes for everyone. Set up in October 2010, she has designed shoes using several Ghanaian fabrics. Her creativity has seen her use mainly African prints to produce high heels, sandals, and flats for all.

“I am lucky to be so multi-talented. I never went to any fashion design school or acting school. I just felt that we could make our own apparels, so I just went to the market, purchased a sewing machine, read the manual and I put one or two things together and it worked.”

Dorothy started wearing her own products to the admiration of friends who started asking about it. “Since then I have never looked backed. I have been designing and making dresses, shoes, broaches, necklaces, arm and head bands for not just friends but anyone who is interested.”

She spoke with pride about how she now dresses some of the cast and crew of Uncle Ebo Whyte’s Roverman Productions, of which she is a member.

“Currently, I have not dressed any celebrity yet, but that is part of the expansion plan for this year, though I have dressed some of the cast and crew of Uncle Ebo’s Roverman Production.”

She has a strong presence on Facebook, where her page has a lot of fans. She uses the platform to market her products to the world at large, she said.

About how she got into acting, Dorothy said: “I did not receive any training in acting; neither did I attend any theatre school. I went for auditions and got selected for the role. I think I did well at my first attempt. It was very interesting on stage. Since it was my first time on stage I gave it my all and reviews indicated that I did a good job. I am looking forward to having a great year in acting on stage, and maybe movies this year.

She paid glowing tribute to Roverman CEO Uncle EBo Whyte. “Uncle Ebo and Roverman have done a lot to change the theatre scene in the country. For a very long time, no one wanted to pay to watch a play at the National Theatre or anywhere else.

“But since Uncle Ebo started his plays, the theatre audience has increased so much that the National Theatre is filled to capacity anytime he and his crew are performing.”

A firm believer in making hay while the sun shines, Dorothy is looking forward to expanding her interests in entrepreneurship and youth development.