Community theatre and development practices in Nyanza Region, Kenya

Abstract

Positing Community Theatre as a site and agency for development, an effective way to share information and encourage community dialogue, this paper interrogates practices and efficacies of Community Theatre in Nyanza, Kenya. While contending that it has the potential to build developmental consciousness among community members around social issues affecting them, the paper argues that Community Theatre provides a believable and interesting way to explore cultural, socio-economic, and developmental realities thereby changing the way people think, socialize and act. Based on selected Community Theatre performances in Nyanza, this article critically analyses the practice and efficacy of Community Theatre as a social construction that is produced, regulated and consumed within specific cultural frameworks. In order to capture individual voices on the impact of Community Theatre, focus group discussions, indepth interviews, real life case studies and participant observation were used. Using performance analysis schemata, data responses obtained were organized into thematic strands analyzed and interpreted in relation to our objectives and structured the body of information obtained into this paper. findings show that Community Theatre is a crucial space within which communities can increase knowledge and awareness of social issues, influence beliefs and attitudes that affect behaviours and social norms, prompt action, increase utilization of and support for services, address and explore popular misconceptions, and strengthen community support for recommended practices. We, therefore, concluded that Community Theatre is a safe space where communities can explore difference, question the everyday, and say the unsayable. Ultimately, this study contributes to the understanding of Community Theatre and its practice over time and proffers new ways of studying Community Theatre in Kenya.