The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
THE word theatre is derived from the Greek “theatron”, meaning a place to behold, or in the words of actor and teacher Stella Alder, “It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.”
Theatre plays a significant role in exploring society in an entertaining manner.
Today the arts community across the globe celebrates World Theatre Day, an annual festivity that has been recognised since 1961.
On the local front, several activities have been lined up to celebrate this day.
From established institutions like Reps Theatre, to the streets in the central business district, there is no doubt that theatre is an attractive art form. Institutions and organisations that include, Edzai Isu Theatre Arts Project, Savanna Trust, Reps Theatre, Theatre in the Park and Amakhosi Theatre, to name just a few have been instrumental in the preservation and growth of the industry.
Most of these bigger institutions usually service a paying audience, which has limited the patronage to individuals who can afford. Besides the professional practitioners who work with big budgets and perform in auditoriums that have all the props and lighting, there is another breed of players who have captured the hearts of many in what has come to be known as street theatre.
Popularised by Freddie Manjalima, fondly known as Kapfupi, there has been an upsurge in this type of theatre, with many other productions sprawling throughout the city centre in Harare.
Most of these street theatre groups have gone on to record their plays on video and are actually making a living from selling these theatrical recordings during their performances.
The fact that the country has a vibrant theatre community catering for various audiences is on its own a reason to celebrate this special day with the rest of the world.
The Sunday Mail Leisure caught up with renowned theatre practitioner Tafadzwa Muzondo of Edzai Isu Theatre Arts Project, who shed more light on the local theatre landscape.
“I think local theatre is on an upward path, which will see more and more professional players coming on board with quality productions. I can safely say unlike in the past years where we were affected by the economic meltdown like any other industry, local theatre is moving from surviving to thriving,” said Muzondo.
The growth in the number of professional theatre productions have resulted in many organisations getting involved as they realise the potential of the art.
“The number of professionally run theatre organisations, professional producers, directors, actors and script writers is evidence of growth that needs to be harnessed to contribute meaningfully to broader national development.
“More and more organisations from private to Government and Non-Governmental are recognising the power of theatre in addressing a number of developmental issues.”
He said there was a need for an entrepreneurial approach if theatre was to experience even more significant growth.
“There is enormous potential for theatre to be lucrative judging from the response we got from our workplace theatre initiatives, which have seen us work with leading financial institutions like CBZ Bank who won a ZNCC Award for an HIV/Aids programme that featured our play ‘Hanya Nani? 1’ and leading international organisations like PSI Zimbabwe who gave us a contract to conduct 300 performances promoting Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision at the workplace.
“In this regard, I believe innovation is the key, it’s all about packaging our theatre as a service that does not only entertain but educate or advertise as well. It’s all about creating opportunities and niches for our theatre that will get us to a level of becoming not just sustainable but viable and profitable.”
He went on to differentiate street theatre from the more professional genre.
“There is a huge difference in the two types or worlds of theatre in that the street theatre mostly is about improvisation or impromptu performance, with minimal or no lighting, props and set which does not involve the professional processes of scripting, casting, rehearsing and other technical details essential for a quality production.”
On World Theatre Day, he said: “We recognise this day and I am aware of events that are being organised to commemorate it. As Edzai Isu Theatre Arts Project, we are hosting the TISU.COM World Theatre Day Commemorations on Thursday at Zimbabwe Hall in Highfield with support from Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust in partnership with Sida and Danida.
“TISU.COM World Theatre Day, which is also in partnership with National Aids Council and Vuka Afrika Performing Arts will feature Peer Drama Competitions from 10 workplace peer drama groups on the theme ‘Gender Equality in HIV/Aids & Wellness Awareness at the Workplace’ which aims at underpinning the importance of Gender Equality in addressing HIV/Aids and wellness issues in workplaces, homes and communities.”
Edzai Isu have internationally acclaimed award-winning plays that include “All Systems Out Order”, “No Voice No Choice”, “Washington Junction” and “She and He”, among others, which have lifted the Zimbabwean flag high outside the country.
