African Theatre

South Africa: Athol Fugard

Concern for political and social equality is at the heart of his works. South African playwright whose work primarily deals with racial relationships and inequality in his native country.

Nigeria: Wole Soyinka

Draws on symbolism, masks and imagery from his Yoruba heritage. Won the nobel prize in 1986, but was condemned as an enemy of state and exiled until 1997 because of his political writings.

Influences of Language and Colonization

Language - More than 800 local languages spoken on the continent, most without written form. Lower education was conducted in native languages with a written form created by missionaries or colonial authority, and upper schools were conducted in European language with curriculum including European drama. Only Tanzania had adopted a native language (swahili). Colonization - Struggle between neo-colonialists and those who wish to establish an independent African identity. Playwrights were often educated in Europe, wrote in European language and form, and modeled theaters on European structure. Writing was encouraged in African languages and utilizing African performance traditions (an attack on power structure and on those who are not concerned about the well being of people as a whole).

Indigenous forms of performance (dance, music, masks, ceremonies, ritual)

Utilized other "languages," especially drumming and dance; communication which meant more to an African audience than words. Visual imagery, symbolism, gesture, mask and costume conveyed specific meaning difficult to describe. Songs and anecdotes are incorporated or improvised that seemingly have little to do with narrative structure. Indigenous performance is so embedded in its specific culture that outsiders may be baffled by what is transparently clear to insiders.