Q2. Pick a form of African ritual drama. What is the role of the actor in this performance form? What are her/his responsibilities? Privileges? Limitations?

Kupira mudzimu, also called biru, is an interesting African ritual. This ritual is "intended to obtain the guardianship and protection of the ancestral spirits" (p. 346). The Shona believe that spirit elders can control almost everything in their lives, from drought and weather, to marriage success or divorces. Through biru, the Shona can communicate with the spirit once the spirit has possessed the body of a living person.

The person possessed by the spirit is called the svikiro. The svikiro is one of the main actors in the ritual. After the possession of the svikiro by the spirit, the svikiro is no longer himself. Instead, he speaks for the spirit. This is the main role of svikiro for the ritual. The svikiro is privileged in that what ever he or she says is viewed as from the spirit.

The other actor in the ritual is the dunzvi. The dunszvi has the responsibility of being the caretaker of the svikiro while possessed by the spirit. Once the svikiro is possessed, the dunsvi dresses the svikiro and brings him ritual objects. The dunsvi also serves almost in a director role, guiding the interaction between the audience member and the svikiro. This role seems to have a lot of privilege in that the actor filling it controls the entire experience for both the svikiro and the audience member.

I would love to see one of these rituals live. Any ritual with music and beer drinking sounds good to me,

Ken W.