Literary experts have said playwrights should learn to make plays relevant to contemporary society.
Following the first confab of Nigerian playwrights which took place at the Obafemi Owolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife recently, the confab identified the crises and challenges confronting playwriting and playwrights such as crises of relevance, visibility, fragmentation of community, exhaustion, funding, language, censorship and tyranny in both the military and post military eras, mass illiteracy and the absence of a vibrant reading culture in the Nigerian society, problem of alienation of the masses due to their marginalisation by the elites and above all survival strategies for writers.
The confab also identified the problems of distraction occasioned by survival needs that lead to acceptance of appointments that reduce commitment to creative enterprise, the phenomenon of too many self-published plays that are of low quality by younger playwrights in terms of both form and content as a result of lack of good editorial input.
Another major problem identified at the confab was the decline in reading culture which, according to the literary experts among other factors can be traced to the removal of Literature in English as a compulsory requirement for Ordinary Level.
Commenting the issues raised during the confab, the Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Mallam Denja Abdullahi said it is high time playwrights get in depth knowledge about their cultural backgrounds in order to produce works that authentically reflect their contemporary realities.
“A major point of contention at the confab was the imitation of masters by younger playwrights who borrow creative idioms without understanding their true essence thereby producing works that do not adequately or authentically reflect their contemporary realities.”
Mallam Denja added that the confab recommends that; playwrights should make their plays relevant to the needs of the society, playwrights should advocate the building of cottage theatres in all local government areas of the country, a national community or organisation of playwrights should be inaugurated, centres should be created where tools for play writing and play production are readily available and drama and theatre should become a staple in school curriculum throughout the country.
