The thrill of home grown theatre performance

It may go against the current trends, but I will dare to say it anyway. Theatre has the potential to take centre stage in entertainment (Yes, pun intended!). In a world where global entertainment empires decide what shows on our TV screens, we have a chance to personalise our entertainment, to set it in the context of our home towns and culture. Stage drama is an excellent way to provide drama, comedy and romance set in familiar places - on the very street corners you pass every day, or at the local bus stop, with words and phrases that bring the story home in a way that international entertainment cannot. The way mass media has lost ground to social media, stage drama can take ground from mass entertainment.

[Images from "My Pursuit" -  a musical drama that was performed at Ster Kinekor on 8th October; produced by "Ili Kenge Events" under the able leadership of Henry Chibutu and Mwase Kumwenda, with support from "Stand and Sing of Zambia"  (SASOZ) proprietor, Logan Nyasulu]

I attended a musical performance, "My pursuit", last October, and I cannot explain how it brought the story home of exile and homecoming for the young girl who rejected her churchgoing roots. It created the feeling that I was watching something happening next door! Something about sitting a few rows from the performers brought the story home with emotive force.

Don't get me wrong, international screen productions will not be replaced any time soon, and they don't have to be. Much like mass news media and social media, the two can co-exist. However, there is a vacuum in terms of presenting local stories to local audiences, and little chance that our Zambian stories will over run the international scene just yet. Rather than hold back the local talent, we can use theatre as a means to use local talent to tell stories in a homespun way. We just need to approach it right.

Drama is also a developmental tool. We hear like sustainable development goals and other UN resolutions. We hear about Wildlife conservation projects and global warming. But all these things seem to be a world away, distance and detached. Theatre can help bring these developmental issues home to us, with local scripts, analogies and music.

Beyond all this, we can use drama to examine our worldview. Its important for us to reflect on our identity. So many things about our norms and our taboos, our values and even our moral contradictions as a society, need to be brought to light. Love, hate, spirituality, success and family life can be seen in a unique light, with dramas set in our community. Truth about the transformation we need, as individuals and society, needs a localised spotlight. If drama can be embraced by schools, youth groups, colleges and adult enthusiasts, we can provide a constructive way for society to reflect on what drives us and where our lives are leading.

What do work and music have in common?

Music is almost universally enjoyed. Almost everyone has some kind on sound they enjoying hearing in rhythm.  I love the sound of a good acoustic guitar, skilful voices accompanying the instrument (not the other way around!) and it feels like the world stands still. Other music makes you want to jump up and wave your hands. Still other music makes you shout for a friend to come hear a common favorite, as you turn up the volume!

Music is like language. It is used to express every emotion and almost every occasion. It is used at weddings, parties, funerals, official ceremonies, advertisements, funerals, competitions ... almost every area of life can have a song to express something.

If you could choose three songs, to say "These express what I feel and what my life is like", what songs would you choose?

Our choice of music may tell something about our lives and attitudes as well. Some music is always angry, some is always broken hearten, some is always joyful, and other music doesn't make sense (not even tot he one who sang the song!) At other times, the music rubs off on us, and we being to reflect the language and attitude of the songs in everyday life. It becomes a kind of peer pressure.

Work is a lot like music. Sometimes we endure music (when we are visitors) but it is not really our type. Sometimes we endure work as well! There are days when a favorite song does not appeal, much like work too. Other times we endure a popular song because everyone is singing in, then we find that we begin to like it. Same with work, we can start a new task and despise it, then find we enjoy it over time. We can also despise certain music because we believe it is offensive, destructive and simply rude. Some work also raises ethical questions.Sometimes, a song which has an offensive message may have a catchy tune, and we ignore the words for the love of the song. Some people endure work that makes them sick!

We should also say that work, principled and good work, is also beautiful. Human creativity, bringing order and provision to life is a beautiful thing. Hard as it may be, the order (or music) of life is lovely when we can use our gifts and talents to do something that expresses our mandate to nurture and shape life. A good biography is like a lovely song, tracing the path of work, love and challenges through ups and downs.

Some people ignore music as so much noise. The same way others see work as the disturbance between the weekends! But life is a rhythm and every point in the song matters, adding value to the next part. Our rest and our work both matter. Our skills and talents properly used are as much a part of the song of our lives as the weekends. The challenge is to live every part of our lives, to write every part of the song, that it makes the rest all the more beautiful. No sacred/secular divide. In the end, all of life can be a song of praise.