When Theatres Shutdown: A Historical Survey of Cameroonian Theatre and Cinema Culture (1980-2018)

Abstract

The economic crisis that struck Cameroon in the eighties left no sector untouched. By this period, Cameroon had close to fifty cinema  halls spread over some major cities. These halls were also used for theatre performances by budding theatre practitioners with plays  largely sponsored by foreign governments and organisations. The crisis caused these theatres to shut down as they could no longer have  funds or pay the high taxes levied on them by government or raise enough funds to pay their rents. Theatre practitioners and  lovers therefore resorted to new ways of entertainment and income generating activities. In this historical review of theatres in  Cameroon, focus is on coping mechanisms which were adopted as a result of economic crisis. How did practitioners welcome the crisis and what was their reaction? In this write-up, a historical survey of theatres (both as forms of practice and institutions) in Cameroon is  made to show the stages undergone from 1980 to 2018. From the analyses, it shows that two main trends developed in the area of  theatre productions as a result of the outbreak of economic crisis. The Francophones resorted to theatre productions for festivals while Anglophones turned to community theatre and theatre for development. This does not however imply these forms or avenues were not  practiced or existing before, but rather, they witnessed intensification in their practice. Filmmakers also turned to produce more of home- videos following the Nigerian Model. Nowadays, new trends are seeing the light of day as is the case with therapeutic theatre gradually  gaining grounds in the area of mental health which is a laudable effort by practitioners who intend to live from their art and the guerrilla  filmmaking practice.