The convocation play for 2023 was held on Thursday, December 7 at Oduduwa Hall. The play, titled ‘The Gods Have Spoken’, was performed by lecturers and students of the Dramatic Arts Department. After the performance, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Simeon Bamire, commented on the performance. He appreciated the department for a job well done. Thereafter, Professor Bamire stated that the dramatic performance should not just be allowed to go that way. There should be a way it can be promoted to reach more audiences. He spoke about ‘going all out’ in the promotion of theatrical presentations like the one that was rendered.
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In a conversation with Eziefule Francis, a student of the Dramatic Arts department, he explained several things such as, before staging a play, the play is acquired. Afterward, there are three readings. The purpose of these readings is to familiarize people with the play and select actors for specific roles.
Francis further stated that the standard duration for rehearsals is six (6) weeks. A play should be staged within six weeks after the third reading. He also mentioned the amount of work involved in rehearsals, which includes actors learning their lines and selecting suitable songs and dances for the play. Rehearsals sometimes last 2 or 3 hours daily and occasionally extend into overnight sessions. ‘All these things contribute to the final performance on stage’. he said.
Francis also mentioned that the ultimate goal of most plays staged by students is to earn marks. After the plays are performed, students expect to receive their grades. Although the scripts remain available, reenacting the play would involve new actors, resulting in new rehearsals and other preparations.
Francis said, ‘Most of the plays we do in the Dramatic Arts are usually recorded about 95% of the time, but I am unsure about uploading them on YouTube’. This indicates that there is a recording for almost every staged play.
When asked about his thoughts on promoting plays on social media platforms, Francis stated, ‘In the real world, people do not value stage plays. Even if the plays are highly credible, they do not receive as many views when posted online due to the limited number of people who attend live performances’.
Also, in a conversation with the HOD of Dramatic Arts, Dr. Abiodun Olayiwola, stated that although the department does not have a YouTube channel on its own, the Students’ Association has a YouTube channel where some of their works are always posted. He further stated that some of their plays have caused them to collaborate with filmmakers.
Dr. Abiodun further stated that the concept of going all out ‘requires a lot of commitment from both the school and the department’. He cited an example that the department does not have a bus that can be used to convey casts if there are to be theatrical performances outside the campus. He further explained that the department is set to start the ‘Theatre For Learning Project’ by January. This project seeks to enact all of the drama texts that have been recommended for senior secondary school students. As such, it appears that the students will have to come down to the pit theatre to watch these plays because it will be almost impossible to go around enacting the plays for them.
Dr. Abiodun stressed the fact that the department, in its way, has been trying to circumvent things. He explained that there is reluctance in putting the plays on social media, YouTube for example, because they generate little returns. He gave an example of a series of 15 episodes that was once posted on YouTube, and eventually, only $18 was made from it. He also stated that if plays were posted online, audiences would not be willing to come and see those plays again. He further stated that the Convocation play was posted online basically because it was sponsored.
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Nonetheless, he spoke about a development that the department is working on. This has to do with selling online tickets to audiences and making it possible for the plays to be streamed by those who purchase the tickets.
In answering the question of whether the department already has all of the equipment that will be needed to make the development feasible, the Dean stated that only cameras are available. Switchers, and microphones, among other things, are needed. Moreover, he spoke about how awareness will be a major factor in kick-starting. Dr. Abiodun believes that all of these things can be achieved little by little. ‘Rome was not built in a day’. he said.
The world has become technologically driven, leading to a digital transformation in almost everything, including theatrical performances. To adapt, theater practitioners have been urged to utilize social media platforms to reinvent their trade.
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However, it is important to acknowledge that virtual or online performances can be costly. Another challenge is the lack of control over the content streamed online. The challenge of considering what the generality of the audience wishes to see is posed. As such, there are occurrences when theaters just stream whatever is available.
Overall, the concept of ‘going all out’ in this digital age is complex and requires careful consideration of various factors.