Directing eco-theatricality on the Nigerian stage: lessons from Ahmadu Bello University Studio Theatre

Abstract

The intersection between theatre and environmental concerns dates back to the origins of theatre itself. Years of continuous intersection and interaction between the two have given rise to a dynamic field known as ecological theatre or what may be referred to as eco-theatricality. Extant episteme in the area recognizes the potential of theatre to contribute to environmental consciousness to harnessing the transformative power of the stage to engage audiences, evoke emotional responses, and promote environmental awareness. In the continent for example, place, space, things, objects and people are named and known according to the nature of relationship between them and the environment. Within this context, the environment is reified and apprehended as a concrete material rather than a mere object. It is nurtured and, in many cases, worshipped in ways that result in diverse mimetic arts, poetics and aesthetics. In this paper, I draw from select stage productions from the Ahmadu Bello University Studio Theatre and seek to inspire theatre practitioners, educators, and policymakers to consider alternative ways of making theatre that puts the environment at the forefront of production. The researcher considered two eco-friendly play productions; the production of Ahmed Yerima’s Mojagbe and Don Pedro Obaseki’s Azagidi: When gods Die. The choice of these two productions lies in the deliberate attempts of the directors to use reusable materials to create a green theatre mis en scene. The researcher also wants to emphasize that eco-directing is possible even when working with canonical play-texts that do not directly address issues of the environment. The theory of Eco-Theatricality is used as a conceptual bastion to understand the rupture that has taken place in man’s exploitation of the environment and the dramatist’s conscious efforts at providing solutions to the problems posed by climate change.