Wedding celebration rituals

The articles on indigenous African performance forms devote a good amount of time refuting the notion that these forms are not Theatre. Pick a performance type described in the articles. Discuss how this form differs from traditional Western dramatic forms. How is it similar?

The ritual performance of indigenous African wedding celebrations differs from theatre in several ways; however it does include aspects similar to theatre. Sirayi describes the ritual preparations and the performances involved in a Xhosa wedding celebration. Although the performance includes music, dance, and costumes that hold aesthetic value and are included as means of entertainment, the performance has strong traditional value in the culture, and each step of the preparation and the performance itself holds meaning. Like theatre, the Xhosa wedding celebration is rehearsed ahead of time and consists of a set series of events, which are performed by participants for an audience. However, in the wedding celebration the audience members are often also the performers, and their roles shift during the different parts of the rituals.

The actors and audience members in the preparation rituals are the families of the bride and groom. The bride’s family performs dances and music while negotiations occur. Negotiations take place much as a scripted scene would unfold. The interactions always include the same discussions, and are accompanied by rituals, such as when the groom’s family presents tobacco to the family members at the negotiation. The organized, structured series of events that occurs during these preparations is much like a scripted performance. The family members, or performers, from both sides of the family rehearse songs and dances prior to the celebration. However, the ritual performances differ greatly from theatre because of the significant meanings and the different purposes of the performances.

The songs and dances are entertaining to the audience, but their purpose goes beyond aesthetic. The songs and dance can teach lessons, illustrate tradition and values, and evoke emotions. These purposes of song in the wedding celebration seem similar to the purpose of music in western culture. We often use music for both entertainment value and to stimulate some emotional reaction, tell a story, or teach a lesson. Unlike most theatre, the audience at a Xhosa wedding celebration can also respond to the performer’s singing, indicating that the audience pays attention not just to the song, but to the way it is performed. So much audience interaction and the shifts between performers and audience make it distinct from how we generally understand theatre, where performers put on a prepared show for an audience. Much like ritual performances the United States, the wedding celebration ritual follows a familiar pattern that individuals within the culture know.

- Jenna Barclay