{"id":890,"date":"2019-06-15T04:39:14","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T04:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/19\/?p=890"},"modified":"2022-02-06T20:11:18","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T20:11:18","slug":"directing-and-puppetry-in-contemporary-nigerian-theatre-a-study-of-the-production-final-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/19\/directing-and-puppetry-in-contemporary-nigerian-theatre-a-study-of-the-production-final-draft\/","title":{"rendered":"Directing and Puppetry in Contemporary Nigerian Theatre: A Study of the Production Final Draft<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tekena Gasper Mark<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract: <\/strong>Studies that explore the arts of directing and puppetry are limited in Nigerian theatre. This article examines the directorial indices of a puppetry performance, Final Draft<\/em>, directed by Ekeh Nneka Grace, on September 24, 2018, at the University of Port Harcourt Arts Theatre. It is observed that the deployment of the codes of directing in the production vivified the message of the play, and the use of human and puppet actors pushed the boundaries of the story for the benefit of the audience. This study recommends that directors should take advantage of the art of puppetry in their theatrical experimentations in Nigerian theatre. <\/p>

Keywords:<\/strong> puppetry, theatre, directing, production, Nigeria. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Introduction <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The art of\ndirecting in Nigerian theatre has witnessed innovations and changes in present\ntimes, owing to the rise of a new breed of directors who conceive the theatre\nas a means for artistic and theatrical experimentation. These directors pay\nless attention to the playwright’s ideas as expressed in the text; rather, they\nexperiment with space, actors and other production elements to create\ntheatrical brilliance on stage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phenomenon\nmight have inspired Fredrick Durrenmatt (1976) to declare that “the\npresent day theatre presents two aspects: on the one hand, a museum but on the\nother, a field for experiment\u201d (qtd. in Johnson, Play Production Processes<\/em>\n121). The use of puppetry provides an opportunity for directors in Nigerian\ntheatre to test their artistic prowess using both human and material resources.\nThis article examines the arts of directing and puppetry in contemporary\nNigerian theatre practice, using the production of Final Draft<\/em>, directed by Ekeh Nneka Grace, on September 24, 2018, at\nthe University of Port Harcourt Arts Theatre as a case study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppetry: An Overview<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

According\nto Idogho (2017), \u201ca puppet is an inanimate object or cool figure animated or\nmanipulated by a puppeteer, manually or mechanically\u201d (164). The art of\npuppetry cannot be divorced from theatre. Puppets come in a variety of shapes,\nsizes, colours, races and ethnicities. Some puppets have mouths and legs that\nmove, while others may not. Puppets can be in the form of human beings,\nanimals, insects, ready-made, art craft, homemade, hand-held, wrapped around\nfingers, pulled over hands or controlled by strings. Puppetry is, by nature, a\nflexible and inventive medium: puppet companies may work with different combinations\nof puppet forms and incorporate real objects into their performances. They\nmight, for example, incorporate performing objects such as torn paper for snow,\nor a sign board with words as narrative devices within a production (Bell\n2000). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppetry in Nigeria<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Puppet\ntheatre is one of the most popular theatre traditions in Africa. In Nigeria,\ntraditionally, puppet shows are a common occurrence in the cultural activities\nof the people, especially in festivals and other traditional ceremonies. Ceremonies\nsuch as burial and marriage feature puppet shows to entertain the guests.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example\nis the dogo-dogo<\/em> puppetry of the Kanuri people in Bornu State, which,\naccording to Ellison (1981), takes the form of rag dolls, meant to slip on to\nthe hand like a glove, with fingers inserted into the hands of the dolls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\npreparing for a performance, the manipulator (dogodogoma<\/em>) plants in the ground a stout stick forked at the top.\nIn front of this, he places his bag of hyena skin, containing the puppets. He\nthen sits down behind the stick and covers both stick and bag with his gown.\nHis head and the forked sticks provide support for the tent thus formed, while\nhe manipulates the puppets through the opening of the gown from the head. A\ncompany of drummers and singers stand behind the performer and beat their\ndrums, singing songs, while the puppets are being changed in the tent (Ellison\n1981).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nKwagh-hir puppet theatre of the Tiv people in Niger and Benue States of Nigeria\nis a composite art which takes almost a whole night to perform in an open air,\ncircular space. Enem (1981) observes that the Tivs are traditionally farmers,\nand their versatility and resourcefulness as a people is expressed in their\ndramatic arts of music, dance and storytelling performances, which are drawn\nfrom the shared experiences and historical contacts of this people with other\ncultures. The audience assembles as early as 7 p.m. for an entertainment they\nmay have attended many times before, yet they do not lose interest and are eager\nto participate.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other\nexamples of puppet theatre in Nigeria are the Ekong (Ekon) and Ofiong puppet\ntheatre of the Ibibios, Aninikpo puppet theatre of the Ogonis and the Gelede\nmasquerade of the Yorubas and Benin people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the\ncities, it is common to find puppeteers moving on the streets with their\npuppets, stopping occasionally at strategic points to perform, encircled by a\ncrowd who pay a little token as a show of appreciation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nNigeria, professional puppeteers abound in the rural areas and cities. They may\nnot have professional degrees and may have learnt the art from their\nmasters.  But the story is different\ntoday, as opportunities abound, especially in academia, for people to train\nprofessionally as puppeteers. Modern Nigerian puppetry can be used in developmental\nprojects like HIV\/AIDS education. In the universities, students put on puppet\nshows as part of their course assessments. Students also major in Puppetry as\nan area of specialization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is\nimportant to note that, while traditional puppet performances are an outdoor\naffair, where, in most cases, the spectators watch the puppeteer as he\nmanipulates the puppets, most modern puppet shows as found in Nigerian\nuniversities are set indoors. The audience may be seated away from the\npuppeteer, who manipulates the puppets away from their prying eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
African Puppeteer performing outside for the public (www.southworld.net<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The\nspectators only see the puppets in action: the puppeteer is hidden from their\nview, often supported by a live chorus or band that provides songs and drumming\nto augment the stage action. In all cases, the puppeteer does the speaking or\nsupplies the dialogue, which may be a shrill whistle or a deep baritone, depending\non the dramatic context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nPerformance of Final Draft<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In the\nproduction of Final Draft,<\/em> the\npuppets were made by the director, Ekeh Nneka Grace, a student of the\nDepartment of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Port Harcourt, and the\nproduction was her Final Year Project. The puppets, in terms of category, fall\nunder the class of modern Nigerian puppetry, which is common in academia. The\nproduction was performed for staff and students of the University of Port\nHarcourt and aimed at educating the university community on the importance of\neducation for everyone in society. The students who participated in the\nproduction were between the ages of 15 and 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directing: A Conceptual Overview <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Directing\ninvolves the ability of a director to creatively and interpretatively unify the\nefforts of the different theatre collaborators in a production, to create a\nunified aesthetic experience on stage before an audience in a particular place\nand time. Wills (1976) conceives directing as \u201cthe process of transforming a\ndirector\u2019s personal vision into a public performance\u201d (3). Bell-Gam (2007)\ndescribes directing as \u201cthe auditory or visual interpretation of a playscript\nby the artistic director\u201d (71).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Synopsis of Final Draft<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Final Draft<\/em> showcases a zonal\ncompetition, featuring a debate between two primary schools\u2014Williams Academy\nand The Gold Montessori School\u2014on the importance of education for girls. The\nGold Montessori School supports girls’ education, while Williams Academy does\nnot. The debate is overseen by a Moderator, a Judge and a Time Keeper. At the end,\nnobody wins, as the two schools score equal points when the results are\nannounced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directing and Puppetry in the Production of Final Draft<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This\nanalysis focuses on the use of human and puppet actors within the five codes of\ndirecting, as identified by Alexander Dean and Lawrence Carra in their book Fundamentals\nof Play Directing <\/em>(2009),<\/em> in the production of Final Draft.<\/em> These codes are Composition, Picturization, Movement,\nRhythm and Pantomimic Dramatization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell-Gam\n(2007) defines Composition as \u201cthe rational arrangement of actors or objects on\nstage through the use of emphasis, stability, balance and sequence to achieve\nbeauty\u201d (84). Emphasis is the direction of attention to important stage\nfigure(s) or object(s). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Scene\nOne, the stage composition shows human actors playing students from The Gold\nMontessori School. They perform an opening dance while the audience watches.\nAfter the dance, an announcer informs the audience that two schools will be\ndebating the topic \u201cBoy Child Education is better than Girl Child Education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Students of The Gold Montessori School perform an opening dance while the audience watches<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next\nscene is the debate between students of Williams Academy and The Gold\nMontessori School on the topic. All the actors on stage are puppets. The stage\nis a thrust theatre by orientation and the composition shows a demarcation\nbetween the supervisors of the debate and the debaters. Upstage centre, seated,\nis a female Moderator. To her right is the Time Keeper. To her left is the Judge.\nUpstage left are two male debaters, representing Williams Academy. Upstage\nright are two female debaters, representing The Gold Montessori School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Judge, the Time Keeper and the two student debaters of The Gold Montessori School<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the\nfigure below, the stage is balanced, as there is equal distribution of figures\non the stage space. The composition is firm and stable, while the element of\nsequence unites all stage figures through space. Equal emphasis is placed on all\nstage figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picturization\nas a principle of directing is concerned with showing, through composition, the\nemotional relationship among different characters and objects on stage. In the\nfollowing figure, the composition conveys to the audience the setting of a\ndebate and underscores the relationship between the debaters, the Moderator,\nthe Judge and the Time Keeper as overseers of the debate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
From left to right, students of The Gold Montessori School, the Time Keeper, the Moderator, the Judge and students of Williams Academy during the debate<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the end\nof the debate, in Scene Three, actors playing students of Williams Academy\nperform another round of dance, while the puppet debaters await the\nannouncement of their results. After the dance, the Judge announces that The\nGold Montessori School has scored 10 points. The students of The Gold\nMontessori School are elated at this news. The stage composition reveals the\npicture of the debaters representing Williams Academy in low spirits with their\nheads bowed, as they wait to hear their result. The Judge announces that they\ntoo have scored 10 points. The two puppets representing Williams Academy raise\ntheir heads in excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The debate\nends with no winner, as the Judge stresses that education is good for all,\nirrespective of gender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Students of Williams Academy in low spirits with their heads bowed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Movement,\nthe third principle of directing, refers to the displacement of the bodies of\nthe actors from one stage area to another. It also embraces non-locomotor\nmovements, like bending, turning of the head, and so on. In Scene One, movement\nis captured in the dance executed by students of The Gold Montessori School. In\nScene Two, movements are restricted to the gestures and other bodily movements\nof the puppet actors (the debaters, the Moderator, the Judge, and the Time\nKeeper). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhythm, as\nthe fourth principle of directing, deals with giving life to the hidden pulse\nof a play. Bell-Gam (describes it as \u201cthe response to accented beats of a play\u201d\n(84). It expresses the vitality and tempo of a play and helps to establish\nmood, dramatic genre, situation and characterization. Rhythm can also be\nappreciated in the songs and music used in a play. In Scene Four, the puppet\nstudents of both schools join in singing the song \u201cEducation is the key,\nEducation is my pride.\u201d This song is used by the director to underscore the\nplay\u2019s theme, the importance of education for all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pantomimic\ndramatization is concerned with the use of gesture, mime and actions by the\nhuman and puppet actors to the exclusion of words in the play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The action\nanalysis above shows the use of puppetry and the codes of directing by the\ndirector to educate the audience on the importance of education for everyone in\nsociety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The making of the puppets<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This study\nhas looked at the art of directing and the use of puppetry in contemporary\nNigerian theatre. It examined how the art of puppetry was used as a productive\nresource in the creative interpretation of the play Final Draft.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nobserved how the deployment of Alexander Dean and Lawrence Carra’s five codes\nof directing in the production vivified the message of the play, and the use of\nhuman and puppet actors also pushed the boundaries of the story for the benefit\nof the audience. The study recommends that directors should take advantage of\nthe art of puppetry in their theatrical experimentations in Nigerian theatre. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Works Cited<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrica. Puppet Theatre.\u201d Southworld.net<\/a><\/em>. 20 May 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell-Gam, L. Henry. \u201cRudiments of Play Directing.\u201d\nTheatre in Theory and Practice for Beginners<\/em>, edited by Bell-Gam, U of\nPort Harcourt P, 71-87.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell,\nJohn. Strings, Hands, Shadows: A Modern Puppet History<\/em>. Detroit\nInstitute of Arts, 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dean,\nAlexander, and Lawrence Carra. Fundamentals of Play Directing<\/em>. 5th ed., Waveland\nPress, 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellison,\nR. E. \u201cA Bornu Puppet Show.\u201d Drama and theatre in Nigeria: A Critical Source\nBook<\/em>, edited by Y. Ogunbiyi, Nigerian Magazine, 1981, pp. 253-54. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enem,\nEdith. \u201cThe kwagh-hir Theatre.\u201d Drama and theatre in Nigeria: A Critical Source\nBook<\/em>, edited by Y. Ogunbiyi, Nigerian Magazine, 1981, pp. 249-51.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idogho,\nJ. A. \u201cPuppet Theatre in Child Education and Development: A Theoretical Overview.\u201d\nThe Crab: Journal of Theatre and Media Arts<\/em>, no. 12, 2017, pp. 162-180.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnson, Effiong. Play Production Processes.<\/em> Concept Publications Limited, 2001. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 —. Visions\nTowards a Mission: The Art of Interpretative Directing<\/em>. Concept Publication\nLimited, 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wills,\nRobert, editor. The Director in a\nChanging Theatre<\/em>. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1976. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\"\"\n\n\n\n

*<\/a>Tekena Gasper Mark<\/strong> is a lecturer at the Department of Theatre and Film Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, with over five years of experience as a researcher and lecturer. He teaches Play Directing, Playwriting and Dramatic Theory and Criticism. As a director and playwright, he has written and directed a number of plays, and published articles in academic journals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9<\/strong> 2019 Tekena Gasper Mark
Critical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques<\/em> e-ISSN: 2409-7411<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Creative<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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