Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022 - 35

Image depicts Showing the fixtures and test running of Kwagh-hir lighting. | Photo courtesy of Jerry Idah Odeh.
illuminate performances. Later, bushes
used in roofing thatch houses (Apitan)
were burnt to illuminate performances,
then cloths or rags tied to a stick and
soaked in kerosene were introduced.
This type of lighting was called Azemba.
Today, the fire is made of Apusu-akyureke
(corn cob) soaked in diesel or kerosene. "
The primary purpose and function of this
lighting is to illuminate the performance
and also direct or lead the performers. It
emits yellow flame and is kinetic in nature
because it is held by a lighting man
called Or-Usu who moves around the
performer to direct his movement and
also reveal him in the process.
Ogrinye dance in the non-controlled lighting experiment. | Photo courtesy of Jerry Idah Odeh.
performance is the creative manipulation
or transformation of one performance
element into the other. During performances,
an object can be made to transform
into a pack of cigarettes, crate of
beer, reception hut, or an animal. Before
the transformation takes place, a performer
shoots a gun with a lot of smoke
surrounding the object. By the time the
smoke clears, the transformation has taken
place leaving the audience perplexed
by the sight of a new object on stage.
Chihi Kaase indicates that " we have
taken Kwagh-hir outside the shores of
our community. We have performed within
and outside Nigeria. We took Kwaghhir
to Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Makurdi, and
Gboko. We have also performed in countries
such as Canada and Mexico " (oral
interview). Terhundu Abliga adds that
they have also performed in Kaduna in
Nigeria, as well as in the United States
and Japan (oral interview). In terms of
lighting, " in the places where we have performed,
the sponsors of the performance
would mount their lighting systems and
we would use our lighting systems, too, "
explains Kaase. " Although we do not
have control over the lighting systems of
our sponsors, it does not affect our performance
either. We perform beautifully
with the new lighting systems. " Ajinge
adds that " there are places where naked
flame cannot be used. In such instances,
modern lights were used. " Terver Ahula
explains that " most of our performances
in other places made use of mixed lighting
systems-that is, the traditional bonfire
and modern electric lights " (oral
interview).
The traditional lighting of Kwaghhir
underwent a kind of experimental
growth. For instance, the first
lighting system deployed was logs of
wood (Mbohom), which were kept and
lit at a particular spot on the stage to
Modern Lighting Experiments
The experiment with modern lighting in
Ogrinye and Kwagh-hir included three
stages: the pre-experimental stage, experimental,
and post-experimental stages.
The researcher interacted with the
performers to understand the types of
light, and their nature and functions within
performance contexts. The researcher
also presented modern lighting systems
to the performers, including:
* Par Can lights
* Fresnel lights
* Mood lights
* Flood lights
* Dimmer board
* Control console
The researcher also explained the
functions and aesthetic effects of the
modern lighting in production contexts.
Performers were told they would perform
two times. The first performances
made use of the flame-based lighting
system of Ogrinye and Kwagh-hir, while
the second performances combined both
the flame-based and the modern lights.
Information gathered from the interaction
coupled with the nature of both performance
spaces was used in designing
the lighting plot for both performances.
The performance space for both forms
were divided into five areas each. Lights
were fixed to light specific areas of the
stage (see figures 1 and 2 on page 34).
Lights were fixed and tested.
Rehearsals provided the performers and
technical crew of both performances a
fair knowledge of the experiment. This
also determined the duration of each performance.
Seven skits out of the many
Kwagh-hir skits were chosen for the lighting
experiment.
SUMMER 2022 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 35

Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022

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