adminRaisedon Baya
THIS past week the world celebrated International Theatre Day on 27 March. All things being equal this should have been a very noisy day — full of performances and speeches about how theatre has and continues to be part of human life.
The genre continues to give a voice to the voiceless. If truth be told our lives are nothing but theatre-filled with all kinds of emotions, good, bad, and terrible. Was it not William Shakespeare that said ‘‘all the world is a stage’’ and that we are all on this earth to play a part in the drama called life?
Well, the truth is there was no noise and excitement on 27 March. Most people did not even know it was World Theatre Day.
In Bulawayo the only activity to commemorate the day worth noting was organised by Bambelela Theatre Ensemble in Matshobana Hall. The group performed two of its old plays as part of the commemorations.
In Harare, theatre practitioners and theatre lovers congregated at Theatre in the Park for some performances. Elsewhere it was silence.
But theatre deserves more. I know in Bulawayo there is little happening at a professional level. In the past year or so a few groups have put up theatre performances. Bambelela Theatre Ensemble has been consistent, putting up a play or two every year.
Sunduza Dance Theatre has also tried to put up something every year. Victory Siyanqoba too, has been very visible with its many offerings. Centre For Talent Development (CTD), whose flagship has been the Live Literature Project that specialise in dramatising O and A-level literature set-book recently dived into mainstream theatre with their two offerings ‘The Arrangements and Fragile.
One or two other individuals have tried to offer something to theatre lovers. However, the bulk of theatre performances in Bulawayo are currently in schools.
We have schools producing over 100 short dramas per year! The only unfortunate thing is most of these dramas go unrecorded and are not seen by many.
Where do I get the 100 figure? You could be wondering.
In Bulawayo alone there are three major high schools drama competitions that take place throughout the year and these are Plan/Intwasa High Schools Drama Competition, Isiphiwo Sami Talent Search organised by Iyasa and Nash-organised competitions. Each competition has over 30 schools participating. Now do the maths.
With such activities in schools I found it very sad that schools did not see it fit to celebrate World Theatre Day with an event or a performance. With a number of schools now offering theatre arts as a subject the day should be an important day particular to students who want to chase a career in theatre.
A typical commemoration would have been to bring everyone in the city with an interest in theatre, share experiences, look at the journey travelled, the gaps and challenges and maybe cap it up with a performance or two.
This suggestion does not in any way belittle what Bambelela Theatre Ensemble did. All I’m saying is it could have been bigger and better. Theatre lovers and practitioners should always see World Theatre Day as a day for strategy, unity, networking and enjoying proper theatre.
There are so many issues that need to be tackled by the theatre sector and World Theatre Day would have been a perfect day to strategise. There are many challenges facing the sector. Absence of proper theatre facilities for rehearsal and performances.
In Bulawayo most venues used in the past for theatre and other arts-related activities are now in such a bad state it would be too risky to use them as performance spaces. If you don’t believe me please visit Stanley Hall, Macdonald Hall and Mabutweni Hall and let’s talk after your visit.
There is also the challenge of training. I see a lot of training workshops in schools. But what exactly is happening outside schools? Who is training those out of school and where? Who is training the trainers?
There is also the challenge of audiences. However, the question of audiences can be addressed if there are enough products in the sector to put up a proper programme for theatre lovers in the city. At the moment there are no products to talk about, or I could be wrong.
There are other challenges like funding, structures, and standardisation that we need to be looking at as a sector.
My hope is that 2019 we will see a better organised World Theatre Day.
Bongani Ndlovu