Quality assurance in the creative enterprise: an appraisal of select plays of Emeka Nwabueze

Abstract

Live performances on live stage, the mother medium are no longer common sights in Nigeria. Thus, the waning influence of the live stage in the nation’s contemporary theatre practice is becoming a newly found but embarrassing tradition among young and even some old theatre practitioners. Hence, the problem of this study is the lull in different stages and sectors of the creative industry that led to the decline in live performance. Poor creativity is one of the cancerous worms that is eating deep into the fabrics of the vibrancy of contemporary African theatre practice. Commercial interest, sexploitation and peripheral creativity are now the order of the day. Thus, the aim of this study is how to assure quality in the creative process through adherence to theoretical provisions, professionalism and finesse in the creative process; reinforced with indebt knowledge of the practitioner’s worldview. Objectives include drawing the practitioners’ attention to existing theories and aspiration towards a robust, vibrant and entertaining live theatre. To achieve this creative process based on a marriage of theory and practice; two of Emeka Nwabueze’s plays, Guardian of the Cosmos and A Parliament of Vultures are examined in this article using case study and content analysis research approaches of the qualitative research method. The researchers concluded that adherence to theory can build and sustain quality assurance mechanism and vibrancy into the postmodern African theatre practice.