What function does traditional African ritual drama serve?

Traditional African ritual drama serves several purposes in the communities in which it is performed.  Dramas can serve as a ritual experience that recreates and reaffirms the positive qualities of community life, much like Asop's fables try to impart lessons to children about right versus wrong.

Audience participation is encouraged and expected in these ritual dramas which are rich in sybolic meaning and show a collective longing for the past. (Chinyowa)

Certain rituals, like the kurova guva, can serve as a way to bring closure following a death.  Biwa puts the communicty in contact with and into dialogue with ancestors who have passed on- people can plead for intervention to solve all manner of woes.  This reminds me of the Disney movie, Mulan, where the ancestors are expected to solve the problems of the Fa family (and, of course, they do with help from the dragon!).

There are rituals to mark important life events like weddings and the "doctor ceremony", which honors not the M.D. in the tribe but the guy who received a calling to be the indigenous doctor- I am imagining a type of witch doctor but I could be wrong!  He does go through training and can't drink or have sex for several months so it is pretty rigorous!

There are also oral narratives that serve to instruct and teach the history and beliefs of the community while also entertaining.

Motsa puts it very nicely when he says that the ritual dramas express the emotions of the community, placates the gods and lulls the natural elements.

In the African ritual dramas, anyone can be an actor, everyone is the audience, costumes are not needed and neither are props.  The stage is where you make it and the text can be flexible to suit the need.  I hope that this type of ritual drama does not die out because it sounds like a lot of fun for everyone involved!

Angela Thurman