Drama and Theater as an Effective Instrument of Education and Social Transformation in the Society
CHAPTER ONE
REAMBLE TOย STUDYย
The theatre is known to have been alive to the socio-politicalย realities of its time; a kind of court where the economic, social, religiousย and political issues of the society are outlined, evaluated and judged toย bring about a better society, the theatre, itโs practitioners, and in fact, allย the fine artists, are all vanguards of social change in their respectiveย capacities โ keeping watchful eyes and attentive ears on the happeningsย in theย society.
Inย Nigeria,ย forย instance,ย virtuallyย allย theย newย generationย playwrights are committed to issues of social and political concerns ofย ourย time.ย Theย relevanceย ofย anyย playย isย dependentย uponย howย wellย itย isย ableย toย addressย theย pressingย issuesย ofย theย playwrightโsย society.ย Hence,ย the radical dramatist is merely a respondent to such issues of socialย essence.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEWย OFย RELATEDย LITERATURE
One cannot successfully discuss the concept of radicalism in the Nigerian theatre without mentioning the antecedents that gave rise to it. The concept of drama and theatre in Nigeria, in Africa and indeed in the rest of the world, for instance, derives from the rituals and ceremonies, festivals and such other types of indigenous forms of entertainment usually brought together in an ensemble performance. The advent of the colonial masters brought in Western civilization and formal education which helped groom some Africans in acquiring the art of writing. Performances which were hitherto in oral forms began to be documented in script form. The Alarinjo Traveling Theatre Championed by J.A. Adedeji and Hubert Ogunde and the Yoruba Traveling Theatre pioneered by Duro Ladipo among others were some of the immediate outcomes of this interplay between the indigenous art forms and those of the colonial masters. The thematic contents in their performance were based on love, fantasy, clash of culture, traditions and values, dramatic biographies of their favourite heroes as well as some straight-forward didactic pieces. Yemi Ogunbiyi rightly said that โthe Nigerian theatre and drama originated with the Nigerian, embodying his first pre- occupations, his first struggles, successes, set backs and allโ (3). The emergence of the contemporary radical theatre movement inย Nigeria dates back to the early 70โs. This period witnessed the arrival ofย suchย literaryย iconsย asย Jamesย Enehย Henshaw,ย Johnย Pepperย Clarkย Bekederemo, Wole Soyinka, Ola Rotimi, Obi Egbuna, among others.ย Theseย breedย ofย Nigerianย dramatistsย wereย bornย intoย aย muchย tensedย political atmosphere, into an era when the social and economic valueย suffered a total breakdown. Their works seemed to be a kind of revoltย againstย theย colonialย importsย whichย theyย sawย asย unacceptable.ย Theirย major preoccupation was to redirect the minds of the people towardsย Nigeriaโsย lostย culturalย values.
CHAPTERย THREE
LIMITATIONSTOย RADICALISMย INย THEย NIGERIANย THEATREย PRACTICE
Since its inception in the early 70โs, the radical theatre movement has had to haggle with a number of challenges threatening its very existence. The theoretical framework that informed the emergence of the Nigerian radical theatre is such that visualizes the artistic projections of the dramatist from the perspective of his relevance to the struggle for a more democratically dynamic society. According to Draisen Magaden:
The approach adopted by the radical theatre movement of this era is such that identifies a direct relationshipย between the theatre and social struggle, and relates theย artistic concept of radicalism to the realization of anย egalitarianย societyย devoidย ofย acrimoniousย classย struggle(2).
Theย radicalย theatreย preachesย revolutionย andย socialย reformation,ย butย itย hasย achievedย littleย orย nothingย practicalย inย itsย questย forย aย transformedย society.
Althoughย Daudaย Musaย andย Victorย Anyagu holdย that:
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The radical theatre has contributed to the development of radical thoughts in the literary and academic lives of Nigerians. The hitherto marginalized ethnic minorities are now conscious of their rights and are therefore agitating for recognition (due to the influence of the theatre) (86).
Yet, the radical theatre movement has not been able to achieve a wholesome success as expected. This is due to some challenges confronting its practice in Nigeria.
Most Nigerian dramatists with the radical mien find it difficult to draw a line of divergence and (or) convergence between their constituencies and their audience. Ideally, the constituency of the radical ideologue should be the oppressed masses, the voiceless, labourers, the studentry, the peasants, craftsmen, the unemployed graduates, the destitute and other such groups whose socio economic positions are pitiable- a situation which informs the major thematic focus of the radical theatre. By way of definition also, his audience are those who watch his productions. It would be more productive if the audience and the constituency of the radical dramatist are one and the same.
Unfortunately in the Nigerian situation, the audience happens to be the bourgeois theatre patrons, the academic theatre goers and the paying audience who can afford the cost. The audience and the constituency of the radical dramatist which ought to be one and the same now turn out being two radically different groups in terms of their ideologies and socio economic status.
Languageย mediumย isย oneย factorย thatย posesย aย greatย barrierย toย theย successย ofย theย radicalย theatreย movementย inย Nigeria.ย Playsย areย writtenย andย presented mostly in English and other foreign languages. Unfortunately,ย the percentage population of Nigerians who are literate enough in thoseย languages and who can access theatre productions is only about 30%ย (UNESCOย 2007).
CHAPTER FOURย CONCLUSIONย ANDย RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
In summary, this work has attempted to explore the advent of the drama and theatre movement in Nigeria in the light of the problems it has encountered over time and the promises it holds as a functional tool for education and social transformation in the society. The radical theatre in Nigeria has had to haggle with quite a myriad of limiting factors, including lack of theatre orientation, poverty, illiteracy, ethnic and religious fanaticism as well as excessive government influence. However, despite all these limitations, the Theatre has undoubtedly proved to be a dynamic art form whose developmental trend is dependent upon the dictates of the society. The society sets certain standards by which the individuals expected to abide, but when such standards are not acceptable, there is need for a resistant measure. The theatre is therefore duty bound to react to the situation at such times of need. The Theatre has an enviable potential for creating awareness amongst the people by inculcating in them the spirit of responsibility of nationalism, of patriotism and of oneness. It exposes the individual to self examination. The individual is a constituent part of theย largerย society.ย Aย changeย inย theย attitudeย ofย theย individualย willย invariably result in a change in the overall attitude of the larger society.ย Here the relevance of the radical. Theatre in bringing about this muchย needed change cannot be over-emphasized. No wonder Domba Asombaย opines that โthe theatre has the persuasive power to evoke, to rejuvenate,ย reconstructย andย redirectย theย mindย for positiveย thinkingโย (318).
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