The Sunday News
ONE of the most exciting moments at Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo is the Live Literature sessions by Centre For Talent Development. More than 1 000 O-level and A-level literature candidates throng Bulawayo Theatre to watch some literature set books live on stage. After watching the performances the students then engage in discussions about the performances and set books in general.
The philosophy behind the project is that “plays were never meant to be just read and studied in the classroom but were meant to be performed live on stage”.
Even the great Shakespeare did not see his work confined to the four walls of the classroom and subjected to endless scrutiny by both teachers and students.
He always saw actors and audiences interacting and enjoying the products of his creativity. This is the same philosophy behind the project. It seeks to use live theatre to simplify or give a better understanding of the texts being studied in schools and colleges.
It is a fact that our education system is focused on passing national examinations. The Live Literature Project tries to help students achieve this goal while at the same time experiencing the true magical moments of theatre. It is a theatre-in-education project.
Obviously there are lots of books and subjects being studied in classrooms. However, the current focus is Literature in English set books.
The hope is to grow and end up including other subjects and other language set books as part of the project.
All the Live Literature Performances at Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo are supported by Plan Zimbabwe.
The project has been one of the most popular events at the festival attracting full houses for all plays performed.
The project is a learning platform for both the young actors that act out the plays and the students that come to watch them.
It is a platform to learn away from the classroom — giving everyone the chance to learn and think beyond the classroom set-up.
More interesting is the fact that the plays are performed by young people with a passion for performance.
So when the students watch the plays they will be watching their peers making the project a participatory one.
The list of plays for 2015
The project is hosting four plays for 2015. Two plays for O-levels and two for A-levels. The following are the plays:
1 The Colour of Hope. This is an A-level set book written by Taban lo Liyong. It was written as a partial response to the disturbances that followed the Kenyan general elections of 2007. In this play culture is put to the microscope. This is an inspiring and unflattering literary commentary of post-colonial Africa at the dawn of the 21st Century.
2 Master Harold & The Boys (O-level set book). One of Athol Fugard’s masterpieces. The play takes place in South Africa during the Apartheid era and depicts how institutionalised racism, bigotry or hate become absorbed by those who live under it.
3 The Sun Will Rise Again. (O-level set book). The play is an adaptation of George Mujajati’s novel of the same name. The play looks at economic and moral decay as well as the frustrations and betrayals that came with independence. It is adapted for stage by Raisedon Baya.
4 The Importance of Being Ernest.
All the plays are produced and performed by Centre For Talent Development. The performances are scheduled for 21-24 September 2015 at Bulawayo Theatre during Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo. Bookings for the plays can be at Intwasa offices and schools are encouraged to book early as the seats and shows are very limited.
