THE STATE OF THE THEATRE AND THE NIGERIAN STATE

By Segun Adefila

A nation without a theatre is a nation without a voice, I once read somewhere. Therefore, it may not be overtly out of place to delve into the functional and aesthetic values of the combined arts called theatre before the necessary interrogation of its present state in this state.

It should however be noted that this attempt is by no means an exhaustive one but a mere cursory glean.

Theatre, the melting pot of all other arts such as literature, music, dance, drama and visual arts has been and is still a communal human activity. A veritable tool of expression, theatre is as old as the need for man to communicate, beautify and document. It comes in handy in moments of celebration and tribulations. From the griots to the bards, the masquerade to the sculptor, the arts have been a voice hard to ignore by all, even among the common and the crown. The king is not spared the scathing tongue of the arts if he steps out of order. Theatre also moves with its practitioner so that any space becomes a stage, an altar of creative expressions. I here refer to African (Yoruba) theatre.

However, theatre has got its 'diverse peculiarity' too. Theatre being a culture and hence a product of a people is practised in accordance with the people's ethos. Where it finds roots through the people, it germinates, sometimes robustly and not too infrequently, thinly. It mirrors the society realistically or distorted(ly) . It thrives in favourable climes and is also defiant in unfavourable ones too.

The practice of theatre like most forms of human endeavours could be precarious in unfavourable climes as earlier observed.

Dwindling appreciation, economic constraints, security concerns, political uncertainties, lack of or inadequate infrastructures etc being the bane of the the practice of the arts of theatre (like most other human endeavour o), its existence and essence becomes threatened once it confronts these ills. Live theatre is the focus here.

The peculiar nature of this art however, is that these situations also, ironically, give wind to its wings. Theatre thrives sometimes better in the midst of such hostilities giving birth to a robust creative outburst even from the least expected corners!

In our case (Crown Troupe), what we have decided to do is to be as flexible as we can in our works and interpretative expressions. This is a resort to the classical practice of earlier theatre makers. Why, theatre had no fixed and dedicated space for performance before colonial intrusion. So for us live or living theatre takes its breath from the people and the space.

This is an essential move also aimed at ridding the theatre of its newly adorned elitist toga  for as with other people oriented endeavours like cinema, education and healthcare, theatre in its dire desire for sustenance is also gradually leaving the domain of the masses for a select group of privileged individuals. Whereas you could find cinemas for instance in almost every communities back then in places like the city of Lagos, cinemas have disappeared and are resurfacing in highbrow areas.

Same with education, where standard basic learning is now beyond the reach of public schools. Theatre, to sustain itself has turned to what a senior colleague tagged Champagne Theatre where tickets for tables are sold and you find VIP, VVIP tickets like in a musical concert!

Unlike what obtains in the the major direction Nigeria tends to look towards for development-the United States-where Hollywood did not 'kill' Broadway, cinematic art (especially Nollywood) is a threat to Live Theatre not because it is a better art but mainly because it offers security and easier access.

The response to this (un)welcome development is to evolve a theatre form that is proactive, spontaneous, exciting and stimulating enough to give the audience their effort's worth.

To find this, I think as suggested earlier, contemporary theatre practitioners need look inward. The monodirectional approach towards mainly western aesthetics may not be the lifeline theatre needs.

A deeper search for a theatre that speaks to the indigenous people in a globally amenable tone should be the collective quest if live theatre must get back its life!

SEGUN ADEFILA (Jan. 2014).