characteristics of african theatre

(1999). Theater Director Role & Techniques | What Does a Theater Director Do? Even though the theater itself doesnt last, it definitely lingers in the memory of the city, in the memory of the Black spectators, in the memory of the white spectators who either applauded it or who opposed it.. Similarly, in Nairobi there was a resident repertory theater reproducing the best of the West End. For the price of 25 cents or, for a nicer seat, a hefty 50 cents the African Theater entertained hundreds of Black New Yorkers with both classic and original work, alongside operas and ballets. The mask, therefore, is an emblem, a sign which is not only used to erase the personality of the wearer, but which also identifies the wearer with an ancestor or a supernatural being. Later, in 1977, Clark was to record and translate into English an oral version of the saga, but his rich play drawn from this fascinating source is not only a powerful drama in its own terms but also an informative introduction to the imaginative dramaturgy of traditional festivals. After all, Brown created the first Black theater in the country, and it promptly failed. Its most important characteristic is that the staging is totally live, and must have as a condition that there is a spectator audience and there is a story to tell and relate that is developed through a plot in which various elements such as actors, music, sound, scenery and above all much emphasis is placed on the gestural, non-verbal language They include The Reign of Wazobia (1988), Tell It to Women (1994), The Missing Face (1997), Shakara: Dance-Hall Queen (2000), and Then She Said It (2002). As a result, everything that is done, said or performed in it is, in its turn, invested with a special energy. Councils were organized to abolish the use of racial stereotypes in theatre and to integrate African American playwrights into the mainstream of American dramaturgy. African . This website helped me pass! Ngugi Wa Thiong'o who encouraged others to write in their own languages. It would be unwise, therefore, to expect to find in ancient Black Africa types of theatrical performances analogous to European forms (although connections to ancient Greek drama are regularly noted by researchers). Across the African continent, people practice very elaborate rituals that include ornate costumes and masks, music, dancing, and storytelling. In this collection of essays written from different critical perspectives, African playwrights demonstrate through their art that they are not only witnesses, but also consciences, of their societies. Part of the reason the moment is overlooked is that Browns theater feels so isolated from the rest of Black theater history, according to Harvey Young, a theater scholar and the dean of Boston Universitys College of Fine Arts. Others were J.P. Clark (later known as J.P. Clark-Bekedemero), Ola Rotimi, and Zulu Sofola. It is at the crossroads of the sacred and the profane, orality and the written word, of inner roots and external adjuncts. Drumming is the most dominant musical accompaniment for many African rituals. Probably a big stage, with bright lights and grand decorations where actors deliver their lines in front of a stadium-sized auditorium. Such ritual ceremonies are conducted by celebrants who must establish contact between the supernatural and quotidian reality. Such activities are performed in ritual ceremonies by recreating and representing (as Sngalese poet and philosopher Lopold Sdar Snghor has pointed out) a mythic temporal dimension through artistic techniques utilizing masks, songs, poetry and dance; in short, through theatre. Rather than referring to the cultural traditions of Europe then, it seems more sensible to look at the evolution of African culture from within its own unique dynamic and from within its own history. Who are the representatives of African theater? A number of other playwrights should be noted, including Martin Owusu (with The Mightier Sword, 1973, and The Sudden Return, 1973), Asiedu Yirenkyi (Kivuli, 1980; Blood and Tears, 1973), and Kwesi Kay (Hubbub in the House, 1972). Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Ghana produced two of Africas most-accomplished women playwrights, Efua Sutherland and Ama Ata Aidoo. It wasnt until the Harlem Renaissance, and then after World War II, in the 1950s and 60s, that Black theater would have its time in the spotlight. They are examined individually below. This work is licensed under theCreative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. A Black Theater Flourished in New York. Black theatre flourished during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. Type. Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun (1959) and other successful Black plays of the 1950s portrayed the difficulty of African Americans maintaining an identity in a society that degraded them. Thats the question Jones says Brown faced, and now, he says, contemporary Black playwrights like Aleshea Harris, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Suzan-Lori Parks and Jeremy O. Harris are doing the same, though with different tactics. This is the origin of the qualifying adjectives francophone, anglophone and lusophone, used in various essays on post-colonial Africa. It was this conference which established the rules of occupation of the African territories and which divided the continent up among the European powers. The theatrical hierarchy. Repetition of the language, rhythm and gesture are important characteristics of African oral storytelling (Matateyou 1997). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In that same year the Federal Theatre Project was founded, providing a training ground for African Americans. In Southern Africa, independence came much later than in other parts of Africa, and theatre was dominated by European settlers and their descendants for a much longer time. A few notable ones include: Even though these playwrights began writing plays in the Western style, they included elements of early African theatre, such as trickster characters, the performance of rituals, and call and response. They did not name their theatre; rather, they lived it. In such events, the artists may themselves be the dcor. The countries of Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone (and to a lesser extent The Gambia), plus the English-speaking areas of Cameroon, have produced a theatre of great richness since their political independence. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Ghanaian Ama Ata Aidoo, considered the first African playwright, wrote her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost (1964), when she was only twenty-two years old, making a significant career in academia. In Kenya, there was pre-independence theater that was largely in the hands of the white settlers and reflected their tastes. So, the main theater that was done in Cameroon was popular theater. With those two plays Aidoo established herself as a major presence in African theatre. They are good examples of the theme of the clash of cultures that was commonplace in much African writing in the years surrounding independence, when a new young educated elite confronted what were thought to be old-fashioned traditional attitudes. The Nigerian playwright has grown up in a world where theatre literally takes place on the street, in the performances of such masquerade figures as the Egungun, or the festivals relating to trades, crafts, or seasonal rhythms, marriages and funerals. Similarly, another of his famous dramas was what is known as, The Lion and the Pearl (1963), set in rural Nigeria. Updates? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Ritual space existed, therefore, only by virtue of the forces and the supernatural beings that manifested themselves in it. Critical playwrights during this period began writing plays that would be published in book format and that could be performed on the stage. The Marriage of Anansewa (1975) is a witty but still politically relevant comedy in a form she described as anansegorothat is to say, the creation in dramatic form of anansesem, the stories about Ananse the spider man, trickster, and entertainer. And Brown had a sizable audience around 300 to 400 people, scholars estimate that could remember what his troupe brought to the stage. Abstract The existence of the director in African traditional theatre has always been a subject of controversy amongst theatre scholars. Women in African theater have had an active participation in all areas of the theatrical craft, from their roles as dancers, singers or troubadours, to their role as writers, directors and the modernization they represent, they show how valuable is the weight they play within the theater and society in general. His performers were attacked. It is not possible to talk of much African theatre as if it fell into discrete historical or national patterns. Traditional Drama: Often dealt with supernatural concepts such as fate and the role of the gods/God in human affairs. The circular space itself expresses the desire to bring the participants together and to create between them a fusion, a true physical and psychological interpenetration. It is the functioning of society itself which most directly dictates artistic expression in Africa, whose theatre is rooted in myths, rites and folk celebrations, which externalize the beliefs, passions and concepts that preoccupy any given group. Information. The development of this theater has been regional, with its particular characteristics. He wrote the play, Athol Fugard who produced interracial theatre that critiqued apartheid, including. and Tahinta (both 1968). Let's take a closer look at early forms of African performance, as well as the post-colonial African theatre practices. Omissions? The rich cultural heritage of the nation, particularly of the south, made performance the natural means for political debate, social cohesion, celebration, and lament. Many different African traditions have relied on orature, which are stories that are passed down orally but that aren't written down. The rich cultural heritage of the nation, particularly from the south, created the conditions for political debate, social cohesion, celebration and lament. The Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Africas leading playwright, acknowledged the influence of such artists as Ogunde upon his work, and modern Nigerian theatre also owes a debt to James Ene Henshaw, whose well-crafted popular plays (This Is Our Chance, first performed 1948, published 1956; and Medicine for Love, 1964) can be seen as the beginnings of a literary drama. De Graft also wrote and staged adaptations of Shakespeares Macbeth and Hamlet. This is essential to how Sanskrit theatre was meant to be experienced; it was written for highly educated audiences who could simultaneously derive pleasure from theatre, and detach. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o arose as an influential playwright and philosopher, and he encouraged other theatre makers to write in their own languages rather than use English, the language of the colonizers. With a mix of fury and outrageous humor, their work conveys concerns that have long challenged this nation, including persistent inequities and the legacy of slavery. In West Africa, Ghana and Nigeria became powerhouses of postcolonial theatre. Pre-colonial and post-colonial drama and theatre in Africa. The setting was generally simple and was largely dependent upon the whims of the master of ceremonies and the events being celebrated. The minstrel shows of the early 19th century are believed by some to be the roots of Black theatre, but they initially were written by whites, acted by whites in blackface, and performed for white audiences. Create your account, 7 chapters | Throughout its history, Ailey's company has explored themes of African American heritage and culture. Thus, the richness of theater in Africa lies very much in the interaction of all these aspects of performance. In African societies, dance serves a complex diversity of social purposes. Indigenous Theatre. Characters were often noble, royal, or somehow exalted in position. Shakespeare's Richard III arrived on a New York City stage 200 years ago this month. It is important to note that while music and dance are not the same thing, they often work together in African cultures. In most African religions, the ritual expresses a need to communicate with supernatural forces, especially with the ancestors whose spirits live on. Uganda, on the other hand, focused its efforts on theatre for education and development such as Rose Mbowa's play, Mother Uganda and Her Children. He was hugely productive, with well over 20 plays to his name. Theatre is one of the cultural elements that best exemplifies Africa. Likewise, in this theater, colonial boundaries ignored cultural and linguistic units and ancient movements across the continent, and it is believed that this was due to particular societal circumstances such as trade (including the transatlantic slave trade), religion and exploration, which brought different ethnic groups into contact with each performance and often influenced in a way that is still evident in the 21st century. ***The late Hansel Ndumbe Eyoh was a co-editor of the Africa volume of the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. 79 lessons. The Nigerian playwright grew up in a world where theater literally had a place in the street, in performances of masquerade figures such as Egungungun, and festivals relating to burials and crafts, arts, seasonal rhythms and marriages. He was a member of the Executive of the International Federation for Theatre Research (FIRT) and Secretary-General of the Union of African Performing Artists. Ghanas Concert Party theatrea traveling performance troupe with a repertoire of broad comedies and social satiresflourished in the earlier part of the 20th century and continued in its popularity and ingenuity into the 21st century. The troupe performed plays by Shakespeare and plays written by Brown, several of which were anti-colonization and anti-slavery.Its leading actor was James Hewlett.. It was never neutral and was based on a particular socio-psychological conception of the world. In this sense, African tradition has not handed down to us a specific theatrical system; rather, it has handed down to us a series of functions, which themselves were modified under colonial influence and which gradually moved away from their roots, though they were never eliminated completely. The structure of ritual space (as marked off by the protagonist) always conveys the desire to bring together the celebrants and those who share the same preoccupations. Brown himself wrote The Drama of King Shotaway, an account of a Black Caribbean uprising that is considered the first play written by a Black author though the text has been lost to history. How can Black producers and artists get the support and resources they need to tell their stories? Once the African Theater shifted from a strictly Black space to an integrated one, there was a brutal disconnect between what the different audiences expected to happen onstage. How does the theater make Blackness legible, or seen in all of its dimensions? succeed. The fact is that Africa is prodigiously rich in rituals of all kinds. Ira Aldridge, a pioneering Black Shakespearean actor (shown here in Titus Andronicus), got his start at the African Theater. These are all the appropriate channels necessary to ensure communication with the divinities and to convey to them humanitys grievances and praises. Through gestures and actions believed to be endowed with supernatural powers, these rituals enable society to reaffirm, perpetuate and commemorate aspects of existence and beliefs deemed essential for the communitys physical, moral and spiritual health. Theatrical art in Africa, therefore, is very ancient, its origins lost in prehistory. Editorial|ditorial, The views and opinions expressed in Critical Stages/Scnes critiques are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the journal, Limitation de responsabilit : Les articles publis dans Critical Stages/Scnes critiques expriment lopinion de leurs auteurs et ne refltent pas ncessairement la politique officielle ou la position de la revue, The Roots of African Theatre Ritual and Orality in the Pre-Colonial Period, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), by Ousmane Diakhat and Hansel Ndumbe Eyoh, Michael Chekhovs Theatre Pedagogy in the Age of Cosmopolitanism, Remembering The Death of the Last Black Man RehearseApp.net Magazine, History of Kenyan Theatre Fundo Learning, International Theatre and Performing Arts Festival Guide, Inter-Connecting: A Collection of Useful Links, Publication Ethics / thique de publication, Submission Guidelines / Soumission darticles. 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