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African Dramatists and the Burden of Responsibility

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African Dramatists and the Burden of Responsibility International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies Volume 5, Issue 8, 2018, PP 1-12 ISSN 2394-6288 (Print) & ISSN 2394-6296 (Online) African Dramatists and the Burden of Responsibility Adeseke, Adefolaju Eben (Ph.D), Kola Oyewo (Ph.D) Dept. of Theatre and Media Arts, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Dept. of Theatre and Media Arts, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria *Corresponding Author: Adeseke, Adefolaju Eben, Dept. of Theatre and Media Arts, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.Tel.: +2348033765046Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The theatre artiste, as a member of a society, should be aware of the enormous responsibility placed on him as a committed artiste so that the society will not perish. Though some critics believe that the theatre artiste should not be committed, that art should be for art’s sake, from all indications this may spell doom for man and his society. This paper argues that art must be committed for it to be relevant and for society to become a better place for all. Hence, the playwright/theatre artiste is not excused in his duty to intimate the people with the pros and cons of life. This paper also examined some works of Femi Osofisan to juxtapose them with works of Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi, to show how those works reflect high level of commitment, especially towards the less privileged and the society. It is hoped that this paper will provide the needed inspiration for African playwrights, dramatists and theatricians to play their roles as committed artistes. Keywords: African Dramatists, creative writers, commitment, Marxist aesthetics. INTRODUCTION or not. Commitment in this regard is tantamount to the burden of responsibility placed on the The exigency and precarious situation of our creative artiste which is also tantamount to the time have bestowed huge responsibility on relevance of the writer to his/her society. Any creative artistes in the three genres of literature, committed artiste will always see it as a call to namely: Poetry, Prose and Drama. This paper duty to unveil the social problems of his/her dwells more on drama, dramatists and society in writing or other means available. Zulu theatricians because of the two dimensional Sofola posits (1994:7) that, “the artist, by this functions of drama, that is, drama as text and fact, occupies a vital place in the life of his drama as performance. All art works, be it community as a mediator between his people drawing, sculpture, creative writing and other and their divine reality, and as a motivator for vocations, are created for a purpose. Expectedly, the well-being of his people”. Even when the such works must meet the yearnings and writers are not vocal, “it is common knowledge aspirations of individuals that see them. that they hold strong views when it comes to Therefore, it is important for such art to clearly issues of politics, culture, economy and society” depict or reflect what it is created for and why (2017: 197). Akinyemi and Falola‟s position is such art matters in a disjointed world like ours. apt here, that: Such art should duly reflect our strong points, weaknesses, desires, fears, needs, hopes and The relevance of a writer is determined by the finally help resolve troubles of inner life. The useful role he or she plays in the portrayal of the work could be about “political change, to social reality of the time. The committed writer comment on an aspect of the society, to convey is the conscience of society and it falls on him a specific emotion or, to address psychology, to or her to make the audience aware of the social, illustrate another discipline …” (Macaulay, economic, and political problems and the causes 2016: 65). If art satisfies these needs, then it is and possible cure of such problems (Akinyemi unequivocal to state that it is committed to the and Falola, 2009: 5). plight of the people and society as well as Commitment is basically providing necessary serving as pointer to the direction which the change to the status quo, hitherto negating peace society should move. This paper serves as this and impeding development. Obiora (2014:83) researcher‟s humble contribution to the seeming also toes this line of argument that: long debate on whether art should be committed International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies V5 ●I8 ●2018 1 African Dramatists and the Burden of Responsibility Theatre scholars and practitioners … played an selflessness, pride, struggle, success and failure active role in bringing the desired change etc. The end of creativity is to throw light on required in the society by writing and producing issues that affect man and his environment. (my works that confronted the economic, ethno- emphasis). cultural and social heart of the key issues. The point from the above is that every serious- From the above, it is obvious that literature is a minded creative writer creates something that combination of “both instructive reflection and bears relevance and significance to his society. political vision” (Izevbaye, 2014: 47). Thus This is why Aliu (2001: 351) declares that: commitment, to a large extent, is not negotiable. Every society in our present day world CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK needs writers of all categories for its survival and orderly progress. Writing is one of the most The dramatist or Theatre Artiste refers to theatre satisfying and rewarding endeavours anywhere, practitioners in a range of professions. These especially when one looks beyond its transient include acting, dance and choreography, material returns to the much more enduring creative writing, set design and lighting and contributions and impact the successful writer others. In this paper, theatre artiste specifically makes within and beyond his immediate society. refers to the creative endeavour in the realm of It can be said that the writer’s role is rooted in playwriting. Africa is blessed with great the overall problem and aspirations of his playwrights who have used their works to reflect society. the temper of African societies in the area of culture, tradition, religion and politics. Such Ako and Ikyagh‟s comment (2018: 145) on the great playwrights include Whole Soyinka, the importance of playwright‟s commitment is more 1986 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Ola apt at this point: Rotimi, Ngugi wa Thiong‟o, Zulu Sofola, Athol A playwright’s commitment usually denotes Fugard, Kole Omotoso, Olu Obafemi, Femi the purpose for writing as well as situating Osofisan, Efua Sutherland, Tewfik Al-Hakim one’s work within a given context. This suggests and very many others. Others include commitment as integral to developing plays contemporary playwrights and those that are just which emanates from a particular environment coming up. Many of these playwrights are also that respond to the needs of the people as the atricians because of their knowledge of and conditioned by the realities within such constant interaction with the stage, especially environment. before publishing their plays. Having succinctly established the fundamental Creative writing is “any writing that goes roles of creative artistes in the society, it is outside the bounds of normal professional, pertinent to state that this paper examines the journalistic, academic, or technical forms of basic impact of creative writing on Africa and literature, typically identified by an emphasis on its people. Creative writing then is aimed at narrative, craft, character development, and the “recreating the African experience for the use of literary tropes or with various traditions purpose of entertainment, instruction, re- of poetry and poetics”. Creative writing is also awakening, re-orietation and social re- defined as “any form of writing which is written engineering” (Adeseke, 2008: 15). with the creativity of mind: fiction writing, poetry writing, creative nonfiction writing and Creative Writing: The Issue of Commitment more. The purpose is to express something, and Obscurantism whether it be feelings, thoughts, or emotions” There is no gainsaying the fact that the essence (Wikipedia, 03/05/2016). This definition shares of any work of art is for such work to have an affinity with the view of Aliu (2001: 353) that: impact or influence on the readers. We also Creative writing as a process of producing believe that the primary audience that African works of literature has always been concerned, writers write for is the African audience, and so, in the main, with passions and ideas. It is should address the audience in a way the concerned, among other things with love, audience can decipher the meaning of such work hatred, ambition, complacence, laziness, and where and how the African experience kindness, wickedness, greed, humanness, envy, affects them. The important question raised by jealousy, the sense of justice and perhaps the troika is „„why bother writing about such injustice and the idea of duty, responsibility, experiences if they are intrinsically pity, fear, devotion, courage, vanity, 2 International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies V5 ●I8 ●2018 African Dramatists and the Burden of Responsibility incommunicable in word?‟‟. (Chinweizu et al, our pre-colonial culture, and exercises inventive 1980: 249). genius in making a healthy and distinguished synthesis from them all (Chinweizu et al, 1980: The answer would be that it amounts to 239). dissipation of time and energy if a work of art fails to communicate to its target audience. The It is possible, though not compulsory, for a troika feels strongly that „„the writer‟s language writer to be politically engaged as a dramatist or should not be tuned to some idiosyncratic theatrician. Such engagement will mean that the perpetual matrix which observes it for the writer takes side with either the government or public‟‟ (Chinweizu et al, 1980: 251).
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