Mono Drama: Categorization and Theoretical Scaffolds in the Universe of Africa

Abstract

Since the emergence of The Prime Minister’s Son as a published Solo text, Nigerian playwrights have been making some efforts to write and publish solo texts. Apart from the fact that not many texts have been written and published, scholarship on Solo drama, solo performance or what we may call monologue drama has not been given adequate attention. This leaves a lot of epistemological gap on the scholarship and creation of Solo drama. It is against this background that this study attempts to investigate very vital issues concerning mono drama, which include: the concept of Solo drama in creative and performance contexts, taxonomy of solo/monodrama as well as the deployment of appropriate theories that should be applied by both solo drama writers and performers. The paper holds the view that for solo drama to be effectively created written and performed it must adhere to appropriate theories. Theories such as minimalism, Jerzy Grotowski’s poor theatre theory, and Stanislavsky’s ‘Method of Physical Actions as well as the total theatre concepts fit in appropriately.

Key Words: Categorization, Mono drama, solo performance, theoretical scaffold, monologue.