Is Ghanaian Theatre in “Arid” And Dearth Situation Now? A Sober Reflection.
Theatre Critic
That theatre in Ghana saw its greatest vibrance and fillip under the government of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah the first president of Ghana cannot be disputed by any honest and sincere observer of the Ghanaian theatrical scene since independence. Nkrumah was indeed a great theatre lover and had great passion for the promotion and development of theatre practice in the country which is unprecedented up to date.
It is on record that Nkrumah formed his own theatre group known as the Osagyefo Players at the Flagstaff House where he resided during his tenure of office as President OF Ghana. The Osagyefo Players performed at the Flagstaff House in his presence and some of his cabinet ministers of government as well as some invited distinguished guests; both Ghanaians and foreigners to be in audience for the performances.
Assisted by Efua Sutherland the leading pioneer of theatre practice in Ghana, President Nkrumah established the Arts Council Of Ghana to serve as the spring board or catalyst for the promotion and development of theatre practice and theatre psyche in the country. Had this great passion and enthusiasm for theatre and its psyche in Ghana been sustained, Ghana would have reached a very high level of theater practice comparable to that of highly developed countries such as the U. S, Britain, China, Japan etc and for that matter, all the developed countries in the world. Alas! This has not been the case; theatre was thrown to the dogs after the overthrow of President Nkrumah in February 24, 1966 in a military coup de – tat.
![IT must be one of the most difficult – and exasperating – tasks in the world to be the President of a nation like Ghana. For you may travel all over4 the world, talking to the leaders of “the developed nations”, to try persuade them that the pandemic that is afflicting the world, Covid-19 (with its variants) is a truly global destroyer and thatnowhere is safe from it, until everywhere is safe. You may deploy your most eloquent language to point out that although, the scientists of the “developed countries” have managed to manufacture a vaccine that has been seen to work against the pandemic, the politicians of the “developed countries” are, contrary to undertakings they have made to the World Health Organisation (WHO) hoarding the vaccine in their countries. Reports suggest that whereas the governments of the “developed countries” are targeting 100 percent of their populace for vaccination, and getting closer to their objective every day, less than 10% of the populace of the developing countries have so far been vaccinated, as a result of a lack of vaccines. Is this fair? you ask. Air travel (you continue) has made international contacts extremely easy. And since the Covid-19 virus and its latest variant (Omicron) in particOman Ghana versus Covid-19 08 www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh GHANAIAN Times Features TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2021ular, are very transmissible. So it is in everyone's educated self-interest to see that all people on the planet are fully vaccinated. As a result of your Government's efforts, you hear that plenty of vaccines have arrived in your country and you are emboldened to announce that your Government will soon be able to vaccinate its entire adult population. Then, you get the shock of your life: an intelligence report tells you that some mischievous people are spreading the fake news that if a person allows himself or herself to be vaccinated, the “vaccine will make that person vote for your governing NPP whether he/she wants to do so or not!” WHAAAAT! How does one counter such fake news? If the Government say it is not true, the conspiracy theorists shoot back, “And are you so naïve as to expect them to admit that the vaccine will make you vote for the NPP?” Wow! Are people so wicked that despite the gains that the world has already made through vaccination (such as the elimination of small pox from the world and the near-extinction of polio and yellow fever) they try to dissuade others from taking advantage of anti-Covid vaccination? Especially since people who are clever enough to invent such fake news must know of the horrible pain that Covid-19 subjects people to, before it finally kills them? What makes the anti-Covid vaccination story doubly awful is that its seeds are sown on pre-fertilised ground. In the past, some wicked scientists in the developed countries have allowed themselves to be used by their [usually racist] governments to administer harmful vaccines and other medications to people, using the lie that such interventions can save them from certain disease. One of the most devastating such deceptions occurred in the United States in 1932. Below is the horrible story as told on the OFFICIAL website of the US CENTRES FOR DISEASE CONTROL [CDC]: https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/timeline.htm QUOTE: THE U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE SYPHILIS STUDY AT TUSKEGEE In 1932, the USPHS, [US Public Health Service] working with the Tuskegee Institute, began a study to record the natural history of syphillis. It was originally called the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphillis in the Negro Male” (sic) [now referred to as the “USPHS Syphilis Study at Tuskegee”]. The study initially involved 600 Black men — 399 with syphillis, 201 who did not have the disease. Participants’ informed consent was not collected. Researchers told the men they were being treated for “bad blood,” a local term used to describe several ailments, including syphillis, anaemia, and fatigue. In exchange for taking part in the study, the men received free medical exams, free meals, and burial insurance (sic)! By 1943, penicillin was the treatment of choice for syphilis and becoming widely available, but the participants in the study were not offered treatment. In 1972, an Associated Press story about the study was published. As a result, the Assistant Secretary for Health and Scientific Affairs appointed an Ad Hoc Advisory Panel to review the study. The advisory panel concluded that the study was “ethically unjustified”; that is, the “results [were] disproportionately meagre, compared with known risks to [the] human subjects involved.” In March 1973, the panel advised the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to instruct the USPHS to provide all necessary medical care for the survivors of the study. The Tuskegee Health Benefit Programme was established to provide these services and in 1975, participants’ wives, widows and children were added to the program. In 1995, the program was expanded to include health, as well as medical, benefits. The last study participant died in January 2004. The last widow receiving THBP benefits died in January 2009. ... I973, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the study participants and their families, resulting in a $10 million, out-of-court settlement in 1974. On May 16, 1997, President Bill Clinton issued a formal Presidential Apology [over the study.] UNQUOTE In Ghana, the fake news that the anti-Covid vaccine would make people “vote for the NPP” has already begun to cause disagreements in some households. A family known to me has had to dismiss its house-help because she obstinately refused to take the jab. To illustrate the way the way the political message contained in the fake news has been camouflaged, I offer a version of the last conversation between the head of the household and the house-help: BOSS: Hey, “A”, you are very lucky! Instead of you going around to look for the vaccinators, they are coming to our estate! HOUSE-HELP: They are coming here? B: Yes! H: But Boss, I told you that my brother took the jab and had to be admitted into hospital. B: It doesn't mean that you too will become ill if you get the jab. It affects different people in different ways. Look, as you know, I have had all my own jabs and I have never been ill – as you know! H: But Boss, if you have taken all your jabs, then you are PROTECTED, are you not? B: Yes, I am. H: In that case, even if I become infected because I have not taken the jab, I cannot transmit the disease to you and YOU will be all right? B: I can't say that! Because, as I have explained to you, the pandemic can affect different people in different ways. H: Then the jab is useless? B: Listen, I can't take any risks with such a dangerous disease. Either you take it or you leave, I am sorry. I cannot allow you to expose me and my family to the risk of catching Covid. As I reported earlier, the House-help chose to leave. Both her Boss and I are convinced that it wasn't mere logicthat made her decide not to take the jab. She was probably under the influence of a church/cult. Or political propaganda! • Omicron cases at Kotoka International Airport are amongst the unvaccinated](https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GT-8.pdf-Adobe-Acrobat-Pro-DC-4-220x150.jpg)
Since the overthrow of President Kwame Nkrumah, theatre practice and its psyche had been on the continuous downtrend; and at the moment, it appears theatre practice and its psyche is in an arid or dearth situation! This is a very sad situation for Ghana as far as progress and development are concerned. It is therefore very urgent for the arrest of this spiral and all concerned Ghanaians should make effort to change this unfortunate situation.
In his book titled, Black African Theatre And its Social Functions, Tayeb Sadiki, a renowned Moroccan dramatist and scholar states the following: “ if you want to build a nation, start with a national theatre” How true is this in the development of countries in the past and in the present! Ancient Greece was able to attain her Golden Age of civilization in the 5th century B.C ,through the development and practice of theatre. Pericles the King, and all the citizens of Greece involved themselves deeply in the practice and promotion of theatre during this period. And this led to the great achievement of Greece during this period of history.
Similarly, in our modern times, China has been able to reach her present enviable level of development and economic power through the development and practice of her indigenous theatre! The U. S. is another typical example of great development and economic power in our modern times.
The U. S. is indisputably the greatest power on earth today; and she derives 2/3 of her revenue for her economy from theatre practice and its psyche. One can therefore imagine the vital role that theatre plays in the life of nations! Why can’t Ghana take a cue from this fact about theatre and its psyche, and develop her theater to the highest level and make the country very wealthy and great? Ghanaian theatre must not be allowed to experience dearth and negate the efforts that Ghana is making at the moment towards progress and development to attain economic freedom and power.
The progress and development of Ghana undoubtedly depends on theatre, and no knowledgeable and sane person can deny this truth! Ghana cannot still be wandering in the wilderness in terms of progress and development whilst she is end owned with great theatre potential that is yet to be exploited to the highest level. This state of affairs is not in the best interest of the country; and must be immediately addressed. All hands must be on deck to unravel this long standing enigma that has bedeviled the Ghanaian theatrical scene since the overthrow of President Nkrumah of blessed memory!
There was a glimmer of hope on the Ghanaian theatrical scene when Dr. Mohammed Ben Abdallah a renowned African play wright and theatre practitioner arrived in the country from the U. S. in 1982 and began feverishly to revive theatre and its psyche in the country. Abdallah was able to do this when he was appointed as a minister in the PNDC/NDC government of Jerry John Rawlings. Besides being a minister of government, Abdallah was a lecturer at the School Of Performing Arts, University Of Ghana Legon, but in spite of these two busy roles, Abdallah found time to organize and to direct theatrical programmes and activities in the country.
As a result of his advice and direction, Jerry John Rawlings PNDC government obtained a huge loan worth 10 million U. S. dollars from the Chinese government which was used to build the national theatre of Ghana. This building was officially opened for operation by President Jerry John Rawlings in December 1991. It is evident that the efforts of Abdallah towards the revival of theatre and its psyche in the country culminated into the building of the national theatre of Ghana, and one can also witness and testify that the period 1980’s and the 1990’s saw the Ghanaian theatrical scene bounced back to life once again, reminiscent of the Nkrumah’s era when theatre had its great birth, nurture and rapid promotion in the country.
The Ghanaian theatrical stage was flooded with different kinds of play performances at various places in the country such as the Centre For National Culture (Formerly Arts Council of Ghana, Accra) Kumasi Cultural Centre, KNUST Auditorium, Koforidua Cultural Centre etc. Plays from Abdallah, Asiedu Yirenkye, Efua Sutherland, Bill Marshall, Ama Atta Aidoo, Martin Owusu etc frequently flooded the Ghanaian theatrical stage, which were very interesting and appealing to theatre lovers and audience. As a result of this bright scenario of theatre performances, theatre psyche steadily rose up and seemed to be gaining grounds in the country. Even President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings often found time in their busy schedules to watch play performances in the country.
As at now, however, the theatre scene in Ghana is very gloomy indeed and one wonders where this situation will eventually lead to? Through gross ignorance of theatre and its great value, Ghanaians have for a long time looked down upon and despised theatre! This state of affairs is very serious as far as progress and development of the country are concerned. If this negative and wrong mentality of Ghanaians about theatre is not changed now, one will wonder how Ghana can really develop as a country. Theatre and its psyche must be developed at all costs in Ghana now!
I dare to state that not until Ghanaians realize that theatre is highly invaluable in national development aspirations of countries in the world as pointed out clearly and unambiguously in the foregoing, Ghana will still be struggling in a wild goose chase manner as far as enlightment, progress and development are concerned. This is a fact and hard truth which cannot be flawed in any argument whatsoever! We are in the 21st Century of modern civilization, enlightment and advancement of mankind, and Ghana cannot afford the luxury to be left behind time in her efforts to achieve progress and development as other nations of the world today.
By Michael Akenoo