Because the African rituals depicted in the articles do not
follow a familiar Western dramatic format, it has been questioned whether they
qualify as theatre. While the rituals of
the indigenous do not follow a linear plot strategy or contain Aristotelian or
Shakespearean elements that largely define theatre to a Western audience- the
ritual performances are theatrical.
Ritual performances like Kurova guva, despite not being a traditional
form of theatre, contain audience, actor, character, props, costumes, and
music. The eldest member directs the
events similar to a dalang or narrator, or director. The millet used in the ceremony is a
necessary prop in order to enact the performance. In the same way, the text used to call for
the dead acts as a narrative discourse through which the performance
unfolds. An actor takes on the character
of practitioner calling for the spirit between the world of the living and the
dead. Props such as pots, sticks, axes,
and sacrificial goats are also paramount to the performance.
This practice of Kurova guva is not just
meant for the deceased, but as a method of relieving tension among the
living. In this way, the release of
emotion is somewhat cathartic for those intimately involved in the performance
and those observing it. The music played
is not only functioning as a part of the ritual, but as entertainment to the
audience that has come to observe the ritual.
Regardless of the difference in formats, this indigenous performance
cannot be discounted and should be view as yet another extension of theatre.
- Hailey Drescher
Hailey,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments that just because a performance does not conform to our ideas about what a performance should be, that doesn't make it any less of a performance! These rituals are interesting because I beleive that originally, they were more religion but they have evolved to be more (or less) than that- more in that their religion seems to evolve and adapt and less in that it does seem like the performances are more outwardly directled now.
Angela Thurman
I find that this ritual is almost seem as a celebration for the living and the dead. The music and dancing act as a form of entertainment but also become required for the ritual to work. I compare this performance to our idea of funeral and our version seems more morbid and depressing compared to the lively performance of the kurova guva.
ReplyDeleteMiranda
I definitely think ritual performances are theatrical in many ways. The performances have many aesthetic qualities that are entertaining to the audience, but I do think that their purposes and meaning make them different from theatre. While the primary purpose of theatre is entertainment (though not the only purpose), the primary purpose of ritual performances range from celebration to upholding to tradition to honoring a deceased individual. In the same way, many of the ritual performances in which we engage here in the US have very theatrical elements. Our wedding celebrations are great examples, with the elaborate costumes, and music for both entertainment and traditional value. The performance is both beautiful and meaningful in different ways.
ReplyDelete- Jenna Barclay
I think part of the reason people have issues classifying African rituals as "performance" is because it does not allign with our western ideas of performance. We primarily go to a performance to be entertained. Yes, performance serves many other purposes to society that we all know about, but ask a person on the street why they see a performance, and they will say entertainment value. Rituals, however, have other goals besides entertainment. This doesn't jive with our view of performance.
ReplyDeleteKen W.
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