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Inside The Current State Of Ghana’s Theatre Art Sector

Ghana as a nation has been a haven for creative expression for decades. The country’s commitment to nurturing and promoting the creativity that exists within its borders, has seen it produce gems across the creative industry. Music, photography, art, and film have all had their share of national and international fame.

Like our music industry, many other aspects of our creative ecosystem have gone through some challenging periods. One such sector is theatre. Years ago, the theatre was an integral part of the creative ecosystem, especially for film. Actors, directors, writers, and even members of the production crew nurtured their craft through theatre. From Drama clubs in school, drama troupes that moved from town to town putting on shows to the national “Keysoap Concert Party”, theatre provided the platform that propelled the careers of people within the film industry. Our theatre mirrored our vibrant culture and stories.

However, what was once an integral part of the creative industry has taken a seat. Several factors have contributed to the decline in the patronization of theatre arts in the country. However, in all this, senior high schools and universities like the University Of Cape Coast, the University of Education, Winneba, and the University of Ghana continue to flame the fire of theatre across the nation. 

Outside the confines of schools, Roverman Productions among notable theatre companies have been hosting theatre festivals all year round, roping in thousands of theatre lovers to the national theatre to enjoy some creative acting and storytelling. Some months ago, I was invited to a show at the National Theater Folks Place on a Wednesday evening. After the show, I learned that it was a monthly initiative that stages a play every last Wednesday of the month. After attending three more shows I began wondering why there was little publicity on what was happening. Perhaps it was the effects of the overall decline in theatre in the country or some other reason. 

To help provide some clarity on the matter and also provide insights into the current state of theatre I speak to some members of the theatre community. 

Prince Bortey (Producer/Director)

Theater is evolving as an art form. Mainstream producers are now exploring more serious narratives, moving beyond the comedy that once dominated. Meanwhile, the underground scene, where I operate, has amazing things happening. Young directors are pushing boundaries and creating fresh and diverse work, much like Ghana’s alternative music scene. We’ve cultivated a niche audience, making theater an accessible, creative space that is drawing in newcomers who quickly fall in love with the art form. It has become a powerful form of artistic expression for young creatives. Incredible things are happening—we just need to put ourselves out there more.

Places like Folks Place provide upcoming producers and directors with a platform to showcase their work while giving them the freedom to develop their craft and find their voice. Folks Place’s Wednesday Theatre, which operates on a partnership basis, is perfect for first-timers. Similarly, the E.T.S. Drama Studio offers very affordable rates, reducing the financial burden for young directors eager to create more. Theater is expensive, and these spaces make a huge difference in helping bring new voices.

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Prince Bortey

Just like every other creative endeavor in our country, funding is always a challenge. We do our best to find our way around it. But the problem of funding limits our creativity in a sense. More investment would allow us to create more and expand our reach. The audience is out there; we just need the resources to connect with them.

The theater space produces exceptionally strong actors because live performance is incredibly challenging. Actors with stage experience often find films less demanding. For directors like me, theater improves our ability to connect with actors and master storytelling in its rawest form. It also encourages us to explore diverse narrative styles, allowing us to bring fresh perspectives to the film industry.

Anne Marie (Actor)

I think younger people are now starting to patronize theater. A big contribution to that would be Ebo Whyte, Naa Ashorkor, and George Quaye. They are popularizing theater, and I would say it is helping those of us doing theater on a smaller scale. However, I do believe that most audiences simply categorize theatre as entertainment to just come and enjoy themselves without necessarily learning anything from it, but as someone who studied theatre, I believe Ghanaians are more prone to commercial theatre, and so they don’t really patronize smaller theatre productions, but overall I would say it is much better than it used to be. I remember performing in partially empty spaces with only a handful of people coming to watch my productions, but now, even though none of us are celebrities, we’re able to get full audiences to perform for. Ghanaians are finally taking an interest in theatre, and I am sure it will only progress from here.

There is a reason Ebo Whyte’s plays are very popular. He advertises to the right audience, and he knows what the people want and would enjoy. I believe people would watch anything they find entertaining and interesting; therefore, if you know what your audience likes, you can cater to them. 

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Anne Marie

I also think doing different styles of plays is a great way to improve the viability of the arts as a whole. Young adults are now seeing the appeal of theatre; everyone is eager to watch something new. It would not be fun to see three different plays from three different directors, all exhibiting the same style; it makes it boring. Everyone is creative in different ways, so all these different styles should be expressed. 

It is probably easier to transition from film to theatre, although people have expressed their frustration over how much harder it is to learn lines of an entire script at a go as compared to learning per scene for film. I believe it’s two different types of acting, but I think every actor should try both; at the very least, they are both two sides of a coin.

Written by Nana Kojo Mula.

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