THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL THEATRE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Theatre arose as a performance of ritual activities that did not require initiation on the part of the spectator. This similarity of early theatre to ritual is negatively attested by Aristotle, who in his Poetics defined theatre in contrast to the performances of sacred mysteries: theatre did not require the spectator to fast, drink the kykeon, or march in a procession; however theatre did resemble the sacred mysteries in the sense that it brought purification and healing to the spectator by means of a vision, the theama. The physical location of such performances was accordingly named theatron. According to the historians Oscar Brockett and Franklin Hildy, rituals typically include elements that entertain or give pleasure, such as costumes and masks as well as skilled performers. As societies grew more complex, these spectacular elements began to be acted out under non-ritualistic conditions. As this occurred, the first steps towards theatre as an autonomous activity were being taken In Nigeria some early artifacts which were collected by K.C. Murray and some excavations which revealed the Nok, Igboukwu and Ife artifacts to mention but a few gave insight into the rich heritage of Art objects, religion and cultural practices which made the society a dynamic socio-cultural religious entity. The ancestors of the Nigerian ethnic groups bequeathed objects especially sculptural forms in wood, metal, ivory and terracotta. According to Eze (2008) “These materials were used by early sculptors using simple tools and hands to turn them into sculptural pieces.” Symbolism was the driving force which produced the art works that were used for utility, religious worship and the development of the ethnic groups.

Art, religion and the development of Nigerian ethnic group is not separated from each other. They complement each other and keep the traditional society going and alive. Anyachonkeye (2006) states:Our people are guided by their ethos, the things they value and revere. They are firm believers in their cultural heritage the things that hold and bind them together. The norm and moral ethics cannot be extricated from their material and non-material culture-morals, religion, food habit, dialect, values system and others. Many Nigerian traditional ethnic groups in effect practiced art and religion in order to communicate with their gods because of their belief in the human soul and spirit which are ever at work. Some of these gods were worshipped in shrines with art objects. This kept the societies intact and developed.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

For a Theatre of any type, scale and complexity to function efficiently, it must respond to certain architectural principles and standards in its design. A good number of architectural considerations have decisive influence on structure of a building. Such considerations include the number and arrangement of spaces and the type of roof chosen. The improper applications of those architectural norms lead to architectural problems. Apart form the regular design problems in theatre designs like; Access and Circulation, Lighting, Sightlines for a seated audience, site selection, Acoustics and zoning, this thesis will seek to look into the history of national theatre and the problem posed by not having an adequate space to accommodate all forms of performance Arts.

1.3     OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of the study is to examine the history on national theatre. The specific objectives is as follows:

i.         To examine the evolution of Theatre in Nigeria

ii.       To find out the people and things involved in the cultural performance of theatre

iii.    To investigate the history of the national theatre.

1.4     RESEARCH QUESTION

The following questions have been prepared for the study

i.         When was the evolution of Theatre in Nigeria?

ii.       Who are the people and things involved n theatre performance?

iii.    What is the history of the national theatre?

1.5     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be significant to the Nigerian government as it will be exposed to the delirious state of the country's national theatre and devise means of refurbish and promoting art so as to generate revenues, and create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.

The study will be significant to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will examine the evolution of Theatre in Nigeria. The study will also find out the people and things involved n theatre performance. Lastly, the study will investigate the history of the national theatre.

1.7     RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology deals with the different ways or methods the researcher applied in order to carry out the research as well as the instrument used for gathering the data. There are several research methodologies appropriate for answering the research questions. The type of research methodology used in this research to gather data and relevant information is the historical research and the study will adopt descriptive method of data collection. This will involve the collection of materials from secondary sources, such as books, journal articles, magazines, internet sources, international and national conference proceedings, published and unpublished articles.

1.8 Organization of the study

The study consisted of five chapters. Chapter one comprised background of the study  and a general introduction to the work. It included statement of problem of the study, highlighted the objectives of the study, the scope within which the research was conducted is also highlighted. An outline of how the work is organized is also detailed in the chapter one. The chapter two of the study reviewed  the concept or evolution of theatre. Chapter three discussed the people and things involved in theatre performance . Chapter four the national theatre  and the chapter five is a summary of the major findings with recommendations and conclusion to the study