characteristics of african theatre

Postcolonial theatre criticizes colonialism and often combines European theatre methods with early African theatre practices. and Tahinta (both 1968). Gibson Kente, a well-known South African musical theatre maker. Onwuemes early plays were based on domestic incidents, but she became more adventurous with political allegories (The Desert Encroaches, 1985; Ban Empty Barn, 1986), andafter a move to teach in the U.S.her work expanded in range and ambition with strong feminist dramas, often with an evangelistic edge. 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. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. In Africa, theater is a social phenomenon that is difficult to delimit and distinguish from other disciplines. This need for exchange between the supplicant and the gods is expressed through offerings, sacrifices, entreaties and prayers. types of art styles|powered by the, Sierra Leonean theater in African Theater, The theater of independence in the African theater, The current development of African theater. In many ways that complex though (literally) fantastic play may be seen as a source for much of his later work. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The African has always lived in close accord with theatre and the theatrical; the performative, to use a contemporary term, is an integral part of his or her identity. Thats significant.. In Ghana this was called Concert Party Theatre, and in Nigeria it was called Yoruba Opera. It helped me pass my exam and the test questions are very similar to the practice quizzes on Study.com. Soyinkas careerfragmented by imprisonment without trial during the Nigerian civil war and subsequent exilehas produced a range of major plays, some dealing with what he saw as the bizarre antics of African leaders (Kongis Harvest, first performed 1966; A Play of Giants, first performed 1984; The Beatification of Area Boy, 1995) and others with the clash between the spiritual and the mortal world (The Strong Breed, first performed 1963; The Road, 1965; Death and the Kings Horseman, 1975the latter widely regarded as his finest play) and fierce personal assaults on tyranny (Madmen and Specialists, 1971; From Zia, with Love, 1992). by The African Theatre Magazine March 5, 2021 0 1k Features In most parts of Traditional Africa, theatre was a prerogative of the woman. What is Rococo Sculpture? As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 Equally, the performance with its imaginative pseudo-documentary style, use of music and militant dance, recall the subversive use of these elements in the struggle for independence, which is one of the major political works of modern African theater. 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. Both these qualities contrast sharply with Western forms of theatre, which compartmentalize cultural forms of expression; hence the importance in Western theatre of the . In that same year the Federal Theatre Project was founded, providing a training ground for African Americans. Some hail from East Africa, including: And some hail from Southern Africa, including: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Characteristics of Black Theater Black theater refers to plays and musicals written and performed by African Americans with the intention of portraying their experiences. 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. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The countries of Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone (and to a lesser extent Gambia), in addition to the English-speaking areas of Cameroon, have produced a rich theater since their political independence. The companys life-span was short only two or three years but its founder, its performers and its legacy changed American drama. Some are in a lighter vein and give rise to comic expression, but the great majority has their origins in religious expression and magic. It is best known for Ailey's masterwork, Revelationsa work which has been in its repertory since its creation in 1960.More than 23 million people in 71 countries have seen Revelationsmore than any other modern dance work.. Ailey was only 29 when he created Revelations. Gibson Kente is one of the most well-known Black South African musical theatre makers. The 1960s saw the emergence of a new Black theatre, angrier and more defiant than its predecessors, with Amiri Baraka (originally LeRoi Jones) as its strongest proponent. Part of what I think theyre doing is trying to destroy and dismantle expectations for Black writers and Black performers, Jones said. Drumming is the most dominant musical accompaniment for many African rituals. Through this dramatic space an attempt is made to replicate the conditions of ritual communion where everything comes together. Rotimi had formal training in playwriting at Boston and Yale universities, and that training is reflected in his workmanship, but he created a very personal style of theatre, richly inventive and experimental. Anyone can read what you share. 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). His plays have been frequently staged in Nigeria and Ghana, and in Britain and the U.S. His dramaturgy is characterized by provocative open-endings, as in Once upon Four Robbers (first performed 1978), where, at the end, the audience is asked to vote on whether the armed robbers should be punished or released. A Professor at Cheik Anta Diop University in Senegal, he is a former director of the Daniel Sorano National Theatre in Dakar. In the late 1930s, Black community theatres began to appear, revealing talents such as those of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. In Africa there is a diversity of theatrical traditions, in which almost all the time, elements of oral and mythological tradition are incorporated, dance, music, dialogue, masks and costumes are part of the same performance, and there is no separation between the stage and the audience. Not long after, Black South African theatre became much more political. 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. But if you look at this moment Ruben Santiago-Hudson in Lackawanna Blues, Pass Over on Broadway one month, three months of activity, can really inspire folks for generations, Young added. At the time of colonial rule in Africa, numerous indigenous art forms were eliminated by Western missionaries because they sought to spread the Christian message through biblical dramas and sacred representations, which were quickly adopted by Africans, adapting them to their own traditions. From a standpoint of space, it is also clear that in ancient Africa, no ritual act had meaning separate from the place where it was performed, or apart from the participants involved in it. Therefore, her style that is located within the contradictions between the West and the African world, making depth in the disjunctions of the diaspora and giving visibility to women, trying to demystify their image, so that, her work was theatricalized with great success. Others were J.P. Clark (later known as J.P. Clark-Bekedemero), Ola Rotimi, and Zulu Sofola. Characteristics, Baroque Sculpture, most outstanding features, Renaissance Sculpture, strong religious sentiment, Most important aspects of Romanesque sculpture, Sculpture during Christianity History, Concept and Works, Etruscan and Roman Sculpture Concept, History, Concepts, Ancient Greek Sculpture Definition, History and Representatives, Aegean Sculpture Definition, Development and Representatives. In this secular comic theatre, the actor must also be a highly skilled acrobat, dancer and mime. It has been revised for this special issue of Critical Stages by the General Editor of the WECT series and appears here with the permission of the General Editor and WECT Ltd. **Ousmane Diakhat was co-editor of the Africa volume of the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre. A vibrant tradition of popular theatre (such as the Yoruba opera) was also a resource that the literary playwright could be inspired by and draw upon. This is the origin of the qualifying adjectives francophone, anglophone and lusophone, used in various essays on post-colonial Africa. How can Black producers and artists get the support and resources they need to tell their stories? These stories passed down communal histories and myths and to share important morals. In Opera Wonyosi (first performed 1977) he draws on Bertolt Brechts satirical musical drama The Threepenny Opera (1928). (Throughout the article, dates in parentheses are dates of publication rather than first performance, except where noted.). Colonial boundaries ignored cultural and linguistic unities, and ancient movements throughout the continentsometimes motivated by trade (including the transatlantic slave trade), religion, or explorationbrought different ethnic groups into contact with each other and often influenced performance in a manner that is still evident in the 21st century. Certainly, the Arab conquest, dating from the eleventh century, and the subsequent introduction of Islam, did much to redirectif not to stifle indigenous artistic expression. Yet, it is part of every day in public places and at home. And yet its also a moment to recognize how difficult it has been for Black artists to make it onstage and into our history. But since there is little sense in applying the term indiscriminately, as certain studies of African theatre have tended to do, it would seem best to focus on what might be called theatre only in its relationship to the concept and definition of drama. Rotimis themes were always political and often were based in the re-creation of incidents of Nigerian history: Kurunmi (first performed 1969) deals with the internecine wars of the Yoruba in the 19th century; Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (first performed 1971) treats the British colonial punitive expedition to Benin; Hopes of the Living Dead (first performed 1985) examines the struggle in the 1920s for the dignified treatment for lepers; Akassa You Mi (2001)published posthumouslypresents the 1895 conflict between the Nembe people and the Royal Niger Company. Nigeria stands out in the continent for the vigour and range of its theatre. Across the African continent, people practice very elaborate rituals that include ornate costumes and masks, music, dancing, and storytelling. Fortunately theater is a spectator sport, so a moment on the stage, though fleeting, will survive for as long as a single audience member can recall it. A younger member of the company, Ira Aldridge, would later travel overseas where he made a career as an internationally renowned Black Shakespearean actor. Theatrical art demands the collaboration of the actors with one another, with a director, with the various technical workers upon whom they depend for costumes, scenery, and lighting, and with the businesspeople who finance, organize, advertise, and sell the product. Including both men and women and intended for a large rural public, these performances varied from light entertainment to community satire and were characterized by virtuosity in areas such as mime, verbal skills, acrobatics, song and dance. A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Acting techniques in all these ritual or ritually related areas must obviously be mastered. Another important Ghanaian playwright is Mohammed Ben-Abdallah. (1999). It is at the crossroads of the sacred and the profane, orality and the written word, of inner roots and external adjuncts. This said, it cannot be ignored that the evolution of African theatrical art was interrupted by foreign invasion and incursion. African dance refers to a form of performing art found among most cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa. Theatrical art in Africa, therefore, is very ancient, its origins lost in prehistory. Analysis of some defining criteria through the urban kikongophone theatre". Omissions? Often the stories follow predictable plot patterns, use call-and-response so that the audience gets to participate, feature trickster characters and animist gods, and ultimately deliver a proverb or lesson, like ''don't be greedy.''. Similarly, the often violent struggle for independence in Kenya and elsewhere produced powerful protest theater, and the process of independence was brought into drama increasingly articulated in the struggle against what was seen as neocolonial rule. Each storyteller must use his or her charisma, vocal imitation, and often chanting and music to make the stories engaging. Created by master-celebrants and shared with participant spectators, such ritual ceremonies designate specific rolesoften supernaturalwith actions and words rooted not in aesthetics but in their efficacy as part of the whole performance construct. The defining characteristics of African American theatre are: -plays written by and for African Americans -productions performed by black Americans True or false: Dramatists who happen to be members of an underrepresented group or specific gender group may prefer not to be identified solely, or even primarily, on that basis true Concert Party theatre complemented the literary theatre with its particular kind of social commentary and its inventive use of both traditional and modern forms of entertainment. Esteemed, educated performers and living repositories of history. Still seen today on special occasions and performed by artists who are born into their caste and whose function is handed down from generation to generation, these local performances continue to be given before very large audiences. He established the Black Arts Repertory Theatre in Harlem in 1965 and inspired playwright Ed Bullins and others seeking to create a strong Black aesthetic in American theatre. See also African music and mask. 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. In the mid-1960s the Kola Ogunmola company, in conjunction with the Nigerian theatre designer Demas Nwoko, had great success with an adaptation of Amos Tutuolas novel The Palm-Wine Drinkard. Relations between African states were perverted by the rush to satisfy the demand for slaves. A Black Theater Flourished in New York. Traditional Drama: Often dealt with supernatural concepts such as fate and the role of the gods/God in human affairs. Perhaps the most significant of Clarks plays is his 1966 version of the epic Ijo saga Ozidia seven-day community festival. annual performance of the imprisonment of Obtala (creator god). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Ngugi Wa Thiong'o who encouraged others to write in their own languages. Indeed, whatever the type of space, the African actor will almost always recreate, by gesture or word, the traditional circular space. decieving wife, gullible husband, bragging warrior, trickster/thief. Hewlett, the companys principal performer, left a few months later. 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. Similarly, another of his famous dramas was what is known as, The Lion and the Pearl (1963), set in rural Nigeria. Corrections? In this sense, each of these thousands of rituals constitutes the germ of a theatrical performance in its use of mask, dance and incantation. Another transcendent figure for the cultural universe of Ghana was Efua Sutherland. Medieval Theatre | Plays, Costumes & Staging, Production Concept in Theater: Definition, Function & Example. Secular comic theatre arising mostly from folk celebrations also existed and still exists in Africa, especially during harvest times and during family ceremonies. The example of the four playwrights mentioned above created an explosion of theatrical activity in Nigeria. Yet they are specifically. In addition to the troupes led by Ogunde, Ladipo, and Ogunmola, numerous other Yoruba theatre companies enjoyed great success well into the 1980s, though they were gradually overtaken by the popularity of videos for consumption at home, which diminished their audiences. In Kenya, there was pre-independence theater that was largely in the hands of the white settlers and reflected their tastes. Clearly, such a brief summary shows African theatrical art before contact with the outside world to be rich and complex. Foriwa (first performed 1962) and Edufa (first performed 1962) dealt with political issues relevant to the challenges of independence. Major plays include The Chattering and the Song (first performed 1976) and Morountodun (1982), both examples of Osofisans radical political agenda, and a play about former nationalist leader of Ghana Kwame Nkrumah in exileNkrumah-niAfrica-ni! It is people, by their sacrifices, their cultural manifestations and their incantations, who give the gods meaning. Throughout its history, Ailey's company has explored themes of African American heritage and culture. Part of that expectation is that they always have to be writing about race, for example, or they always have to be writing about some type of Black trauma or Black mourning.. An important (and sophisticated) act in that context was Rose Mbowa Ugandas Mother and Children (premiered 1987). Across the African continent, people practice very elaborate rituals that include ornate costumes and masks, music, dancing, and storytelling. The African Theatre was an African-American acting troupe in New York City established by William Henry Brown (also known as William Alexander Brown) in the 1820s. Corrections? The last known playbill for an African Theater production was dated June 1823. Music can be described as any sounds made with human vocal cords or instruments; some examples of types of music include classical, pop, rock, hip-hop, country and folk. Foriwa (first performed 1962) and Edufa (first performed 1962) dealt with political issues relevant to the challenges of independence. And he was played by a Black man. Similarly, in Nairobi there was a resident repertory theater reproducing the best of the West End. Theatre here in the 1940s to the 1980s focused on themes of independence, corruption, newly independent authorities and governments, and the history and consequences of slavery. Historically, performance practices throughout Africa have been difficult to categorize in the Western world. Two other major figures emerged in the latter part of the 20th centuryTess Onwueme and Femi Osofisan. The African Company Presents Richard the Third. The root here is religionin this case, animismwhich permeates all activities and constitutes the basis for a whole network of customs. In his backyard, Brown began what became known as the African Grove, where brandy and gin and wine were poured and cake and ice cream were served, while James Hewlett, a fellow ship steward, sang for guests. Thus, when you can see even a fragment of his play So Whats New? you can notice the strength of the characters and the importance of their struggle for the time in which he starred in it. Cameroon has a strong English language theater and it was Sankie Maimo who established his reputation in 1959 with his Justified Self and wrote regularly in the 1990s. It immediately established Rotimis stature as a theatrical craftsman. They did not name their theatre; rather, they lived it. She is also known for plays she wrote for children such as Vulture! In certain religious ceremonies the celebrants wear, painted on their bodies, the picture of a place, or, sometimes, just a stylized design representing a detail of a place. It is important to note that while music and dance are not the same thing, they often work together in African cultures. Soyinkas main weapon was satire, from The Trials of Brother Jero (first performed 1960, published 1963) to King Baabu, which was loosely based on Alfred Jarrys farcical Ubu Roi. The actor must show an ability to use dramatic space not only through movements, but also through pauses so that all spectators are included. African Dance History, Types & Music | What is an African Dance? The silly decisions of humans. 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. Read more Makerere Returns to Community Theatre by Linus Mugume February 11, 2021 0 549 Features In most African religions, the ritual expresses a need to communicate with supernatural forces, especially with the ancestors whose spirits live on. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. So, the main theater that was done in Cameroon was popular theater. Imbued with symbolic meanings and using a concrete language, rituals delineate spaces that are always seen as symbolic or mythic, places to come together, places for an exchange between the human and the divine, or between human and human. 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. The theatrical hierarchy. It is not possible to talk of much African theatre as if it fell into discrete historical or national patterns. Ritual dancers are also creators of beauty in so far as they also stylize their bodies and movements. Christianity, later, changed the direction once again. Garland Andersons play Appearances (1925) was the first play of African American authorship to be produced on Broadway, but Black theatre did not create a Broadway hit until Langston Hughess Mulatto (1935) won wide acclaim. The African Theater, which had its first performance on Sept. 17, 1821, is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale. Playwriting in Theatre: Tools & Techniques. The term theatre itself has diverse, complex, contradictory and even antagonistic connotations in Africa. Two modern plays, however The African Company Presents Richard the Third by Carlyle Brown, and Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti have renewed attention to this fascinating chapter. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. In African societies, dance serves a complex diversity of social purposes. Every ritual act madeand continues to makereference to cosmic reality and, particularly, to the space that represents in concentrated form the infinite space of the universe. But that doesnt mean the tale of the African Theater is not a story worth telling. 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. They have been molded from the culture and customs of an entire community and are passed on by memory from generation to generation. I highly recommend you use this site! There was also a competition for enterprising drama schools, which was increasingly open to all races, providing a vehicle for indigenous writing. Many performers and writers started experimenting with improvisational formats, such as the play Woza Albert! Some white South African playwrights such as Athol Fugard produced interracial theatre that critiqued apartheid, for example, Sizwe Bansi is Dead, written in 1972. 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. Function & Example still exists in Africa, therefore, is very,... 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