CRITICALLY DISCUSSING THE ROLES AND ATTRIBUTES OF SCENOGRAPHER IN NIGERIA THEATRE

UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN

THE DEPARTMENT OF PERFORMING ARTS

PFA 338

WRITE AN ESSAY CRITICALLY DISCUSSING THE ROLES AND ATTRIBUTES OF SCENOGRAPHER IN NIGERIA THEATRE

This essay is going to act as a case study of productions which have been seen, and drawing from other examples to be able to communicate the role of the scenographer and the product. It will highlight the outcome of audio visual effect, lighting, costume design, scene changes and the understanding of the story line. Scenography, has a term itself may be found to have many definitions from various books and scenographers themselves. One such definition, has stated by scenographer, Pamela Howard, in her book “What is Scenography?” “Scenography is the joint statement of a director and the visual artist of their view of the play, opera or dance that is being presented to the audience as a united piece of work”. 

The Nigeria theatre, just like the theatres of other African countries, developed from the rites and rituals of the society that practices it. The activities surrounding the organization, structure and performances are, therefore, influenced and dedicated by the culture, tradition, and the designs thereof. The Nigeria theatre has thus been fraught with several contentious positions and various scholarly contributions such as Uka (1977), Rotimi (1981), Ogunbiyi (1981), Hanger (1987), and others on the issue of aesthetics and designs despite this debate, “what enjoys the general consensus nevertheless, is the existence of a robust theatrical activities with distinct and shared features” of which design practices are part of the tradition just like other arts”.

A scenographer a theatrical designer who specializes in designing all the visual elements of a performance, using a holistic universe approach to conceptualization.  The scenographer visually liberates the text and the story behind it. By creating a world in which  the eyes see what the ears do not hear.

A scenographer develops the appearance of stage design, a TV or movie set, a gaming environment, a trade of exhibition design. The term originated in theatre. A scenographer work together with the theatre director to make the message come true in the best way they think possible, a director having the leading role and responsibility particularly the dramatic aspects. Such as casting, acting and direction, and the scenographer primarily responsible for the visual aspects or “look” of the production.

In Nigeria as indeed in most African nations, the practice of scenography which involves costumes. Make up, sound and lighting is in the poor state of development, in other words, the designer in Nigerian theatre practice operates in an environment that is not technically friendly. 

The scenography has to be an artist who can understand how to work with and in corporate the ideas of the director, understand text as a writer, be sensitive to the needs of a performer exposed to an audience, and create imaginative and appropriate space for production….

A scenographer is by nature a cultural magpie, delighting in the search for the ephemera of history and sociology. The variety of work that presents itself is part of the fascination of the subject, and satisfy an inherent and instable curiosity that wants to know not only the great events of history by the precise details of how people lived, eat, dressed washed and earned their livelihood.

 “Josef Svoboda, who is also a very renowned scenography and sometimes deemed as a father of scenography” also mentioned in Pamela Howard (2002), it is “The interplay of space, time, movement and light on stage”.

John Russell Brown (1997) mentions that “ in well equipped modern theatres, stage design or scenography has become a huge task of planning, building and coordination”. The role of a scenographer is quite integral to a production.

A scenographer is in charge of coordinating costumes, setting, backdrops, and props of a theater production, television program, or movie, the overall look of a production, show or film is determined by a scenographer working with the director, producers, and other crew members, such as set and costumes designers. A production’s mood, time period, and themes are all brought together by a scenographer.

          In many production, many different people are responsible for a variety of roles in costumes, set, music and sound. It is the job of the scenographer to ensure that each of this roles are working together toward the same presentation of the tune and setting of a show. They may decide the direction,  a play  will take, or may work more as a facilitator for the director or producer vision for the production. The setting and time period of a show determine the type and style of all costumes and props used by the actors and designer.

 There are regional differences in the role and the use scenographers. In some areas, a scenographer is always used and is a critical job in the making of a production. Jobs covered by the profession in other areas are highly compartmentalized and managed by many different people, each working in the respective area. The size of a production will also determine whether a scenograpers are used produce a play, musical or show. Smaller scale shows may not have the budget for the job, while larger scale production need the role to coordinate all the different areas to produce a fluid presentation of tone, style and setting.

Training to become scenographer usually involved a attendance in some type theater focused college degree program.   Many of the skills used daily in scenographer duties are learned through out the course of gaining experience working a theatre production. Scenographer will begin their careers by first working as set of costume designer. Skills learned in this area can easily by applied later because a scenographer job description includes guiding the direction of costume and background presentation.     

Attributes of a scenographer in Nigeria theatre

Study scripts and discuss ideals to costume, make up, props and lighting designers for

Work out potential problems such as lighting, or complex scene changes. A scenographer needs to work out the potential problems that may occur during the production such as lighting in the accurate scenes at the right time to depict the mode and period of the day and time, also complex scene changes in a production, this would save them encountering problems during the production if they have work it out.    

Scenographer should Research historical, futuristic details to get the right look for the production: if scenographer takes his time to research deeply into the historical details of that production, it will aids him a lot while carrying out his duty. For example now, a historic play like Femi Osofisan’s Many Colour Make the Thunder King (2003) is a play created within scenic essence of traditional theatre. A scenographer of this play should attempt to interpret the play within the core material culture of the Yoruba people. Also futuristic details of that script he his handling, he will get the right look for the production

One of the attributes of a scenographer is creativity and imagination

Scenographer should Create effective design within the available budget for him to be at saver side at the end of the production because if he does more than his budget and at end he was unable to arrive at the his budget design, it is of no use, but if it is just simple and unique design that will gives better interpretation the play is alright.

Sketch design ideas to produce a storyboard; showing what the set will look like scene by scene. Scenographer needs to sketch design ideas to be able to produce a storyboard of what the scene will look like scene by scene. It is just one space available for a production and the scenographer makes sure that his design will not exceeds that space available so that the set will be able to tell the whole story scene by scene. For example, Marriage of Arike, a play presented by group 8 as 499 project, it set depicts all the story scene by scene. Salami’s place design was different from Alhaji’s place and Hospital design which convey the places within the available space for the production.

Make any adjustment needed during the rehearsals, one of the attributes of the scenographer is make necessary adjustment needed during the rehearsals this can be achieve by going to rehearsal before the main production. For example, in terms of illumination of performance, such devices as gas, lantern, and carbide powered lighting earlier paraded may be crude, the enjoyment that the audience derive make them forget what special effects lighting equipment could generate. However, this does not vitiate the potency and the advantage of the scenographer.

In typical African traditional theatre environment, the concept of theatre design (stage/scenery) is dynamic. Performing arts presentations are both unique and flexible in content and mode. Thus making them suitable for arena stage. The changing nature of African design concepts is also does not give room for restriction particularly in terms of movement, adornment and decoration. These visual aesthetic devices must be carefully considered because in the earliest phases of indigenous theatre, African theatre designers were versed in the use of incorporating masks, costumes and properties in design and theatrical performances without hindrance.

Scene design is, therefore, necessary in play interpretation “because a dramatic character in his utopian world does not exist in vacuum, he ought to be represented on stage appropriately adorned to reflects his imaginary locale” Asomba, D (2000). The various scenes give adequate support and an enabling environment for the actors and actions to take place.

I find that, through my reading of different definition, that it is hard to have one fixed definition for the term scenography. I fill it is the visible entirety on a stage: from the set, costume, lighting (and sound which is audible) that adds to the overall production or story.

In conclusion, theatre, like any other aspect of the arts or human life in general, is undergoing various transformations in its literary, physical and theatrical forms. Some of these changes are natural development or extension of traditional theatrical forms. All this changes affect designs in the theatre. Creating of a scene in the theatrical production is therefore important.

  REFERENCES

Asomba, D (2000). Scene design, art and craft, Ibadan: Caltop Publication (Nigeria) Limited.

Akinwale, A. O. (2001) Theatrical elements and the plays of Femi Osofisan” Nigerian Theatre Journal 6.

Shuaib, O. (2006) Costume and Make up practice in contemporary Nigerian theatre. In: Technical theatre practice in Nigeria: Trends and issues. Oni D and Ododo, S.E. (eds). Lagos: CBAAC.

Nelms, H. (1970). Scene Design: A Guide to the Stage.

Wikipedia