Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022 - 30

high-tech lighting equipment revolutionized
theatre productions, it also changed
the manner of presentation and experience
of theatrical productions today.
Lighting in traditional African theatre,
however, has not evolved beyond the use
of sunlight, moonlight, and bonfire on the
stage areas, creating several challenges,
such as lack of control over their intensity
and the use of different shades of colors
to enhance the beauty of costumes,
masks, body kinetics, and the mood and
general atmosphere.
From another perspective, the philosophies,
ideologies, and social realities
that birthed some traditional
performances are themselves not viable
in contemporary times. It may be appropriate
to rework certain aspects of these
performances to meet the current realities
of the performance culture. One way
is to rethink the lighting design and technology
of traditional theatre to reduce
visual monotony, introduce variation in
the visual texts, and offer a new way of
viewing and appreciating these performances.
Though ritual performances are
performed within functional traditional
aesthetics, some of these performance
forms are no longer functional in the
contexts in which they were created. The
Ogrinye ritual dance of the Igede people,
for instance, served as a mechanism to
safeguard the territorial integrity of the
people; this purpose has been repressed
by modern security architecture. The
Igbo masquerade culture also shares this
fundamental challenge. Nzekwu Onuora
discusses the receding potential of the
Igbo mask tradition:
" In borrowing the art from other
peoples, they have left out the
myths which surrounded individual
masquerades in their original setting.
What is more, they never gave
them any themselves. The result is
that while the basic principle-that
masquerades are physical representations
of ancestral spirits-has
survived to control their display and
their relationship with men, masquerade
displays have become more
of a social appendage to religious festivals
and observance to which they
were attached. This explains why
the Igbo were the first in the country
to make masquerade displays and
traditional dances the highlights of
such Christian feasts as Christmas
Methodology
This project deploys a mixed research methodology where data is gathered and
analyzed through quasi-experimental design, interviews, participant observation,
focus group discussions, simulation, and holism. This enables the bearers of
Ogrinye and Kwagh-hir to interact with the researcher, to understand the performances,
observe traditional and modern lighting, and participate in and contribute
to the experimental process. The bearers of these performances learned the steps
that would be taken in the lighting experiment, the kinds of modern lighting to be
used, and the colors, functions, and fixtures of lights. It also allowed the researcher
to clarify concerns raised by the owners of these performances by patterning the
role and functions of modern lights. In addition, the bearers experienced their performances
under two instances of controlled and uncontrolled forms, and therefore,
they were better able to offer their aesthetic perceptions. Finally, as I doubled
as a participant observer, I learned about the intrinsic and extrinsic paraphernalia
and technicalities of these performance forms which informed my perspective on
and perception of the entire process.
In addition, the researcher used focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews,
and participant observation apparatus from qualitative research methodology
to ascertain the aesthetic perception and reception of the owners of these
performances. The choice of these tools was informed by the participatory and/or
dialogical forum they created for both the researcher and bearers of these forms,
enabling them to crosspollinate and share ideas, options, and perceptions on the
lighting experiment. The owners of these performances have practical knowledge
and, therefore, offered important information for analysis. Four technical assistants
aided in preparing the stage lighting for the experiment and in rigging the lighting
equipment: Amos Iyaji, Kpamor Utsu, Naomi Ancha, and Zakaa Zuamo. Four research
assistants collated data from respondents: Terkimbi Adoka, Moti Govinda,
Gerald Moses, and Sunday Oruhu.
and Easter. " (Onuora Nzekwu 1981,
134-5)
These performance forms are undergoing
revision and recontextualization
from within, making it easier to integrate
modern lighting without distorting their
current aesthetic functions. More fundamentally,
injecting new life into these
performances in the face of their gradual
extinction is a creative way to save them
from the ravages of time. Furthermore,
contemporary audiences have high aesthetic
expectations.
Some modern theatre performances
may rely on sophisticated lighting technology
to help in telling the tale of the
performance, creating scenic environments,
and enhancing moods. In contrast,
traditional African performances
rely on less sophisticated lighting with
little or no manipulation and simulation
of effects. Though traditional lighting provides
certain aesthetics to its traditional
audience, it is limited in its communication
to a heterogeneous audience.
For
instance,
30 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SUMMER 2022
consider
the
audience's
relationship with the costumes of
Ogrinye and the masks and puppets in
Kwagh-hir. Ogrinye is a combatant and/
or war performance tradition of the Igede
people tasked with protecting Igede
land and its people. The Ogrinye masquerades
are adorned in beautiful raffia
of green and white, with masks beautifully
carved and painted. The Kwagh-hir
theatre is a storytelling tradition of the
Tiv people whose performance narrativity
is embedded and expressed through
masquerades, puppets, and animals.
Similarly, Kwagh-hir masks and puppets
are painted with bright colors such as
red, blue, and yellow. However, the reliance
of these theatre forms on lighting
from bonfires inherently limits the full
revelation of these beautiful elements
in performance. The intended beauty is
concealed in a blurry and dark-lit environment
to which the traditional audience
has become accustomed.
Traditional theatre practitioners have
been unable to develop lighting systems
beyond their simplistic forms. The reason
is unclear, although some performances
use modern lights for the venue.

Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022

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