Origins of
African Drama and Storytelling
African cultures are
diverse and rich and their drama traditions are founded in oral cultures and
traditions, use of drums and percussion instruments, use of dance and movement
and use of costume and mask. Performance rituals in ancient times probably took
place at night a meal. The African oral traditions normally involve a folktale
being recited, sung, and or danced and sung.
Some African
performers see that the most ancient of African storytelling performances
involve three parts:
- The opening formula
or group clapping or introduction or call
- The story expository
- The conclusive
formula
A drama session which
explores and uses early African storytelling techniques normally begins with an
opening formula which can involve an exchange of jokes and riddles or a group
clapping or call. Then a storyteller begins the narration of the tale. This can
be introduced by a signal such as drumming or hand clapping. The storyteller
sets the scene, introduces the characters, and defines the conflict using all
sorts of techniques. In some parts of Cameroon and Ghana, the storytellers or
performers perform a real dramatic play where storytellers sing, dance and
through their gestures and body movements create the imagery and symbolism of
the story. Many early African forms of drama involve only a single performer
who imitates many characters in the story or may use different costume items or
masks for different characters. The final part of the story or the conclusive
formula, sees the closure of the story with a final didactic or moral statement
about an issue or message explored.
Using any of the Ananse
folktales of Ghana is a good starting place for exploring early African drama
styles. The performance of the Ananse stories are accompanied with music,
singing, drumming, percussion instruments, clapping, and dancing.
Exercise in Early African
Drama & Storytelling
Opening
1 a) Ampe
(Ghana)
This is a game
best played with a group of four or more. It’s an active game, with so much
clapping, singing, and jumping involved that it almost looks like a dance. It’s
a game that’s been past down from generation to generation. A leader is chosen
and the rest of the group either stand in a semicircle or split into groups of
two. The leader begins by jumping, and when you land from your jump, you place
one leg forward. Points are earned depending on which leg (left or right) meets
the opposite leg of your opponent first. Everyone gets a chance to be the
leader.
1 b) Nigeria
Another clapping
game can involve clapping in a group. One person sets up a clapping rhythm and
repeats it. The group then takes up this rhythm. Each new rhythm starts off at
a medium volume and energy and then it gets softer. Then another person starts
a new rhythm and the whole group repeats it until they all get sifter and
someone else introduces a new rhythm.
1 c) Tanzania
Another
introductory game can involving students playing with adjectives. The group
forms a circle. Then one person starts with an animal that begins with A and
prefixes this animal with an appropriate adjective. The next person goes on to
do the same with B etc. (Adventurous Aardvark, Bellowing Bear…).
Telling a story
2 a) One easy
way to start to tell a story is to start with a dance sequence or story. Try
the following sequence in a group.
•
Introduction:
The whole group shows a slow sunrise – three-four children rising in an arc
with hands held. The remaining children are the sleeping desert.
•
Heatwave:
The whole room becomes a baking heatwave, undulating and shimmering. All
students do these actions
•
Toiling in
the heat: Children digging to the rhythm, weaving with their hands, carrying
water containers or pots on their heads.
•
Giving
thanks: Children give thanks for food and shelter – all in a circle mirroring
the movement of one leader.
2 b) One
person begins a tale and stops after a few sentences. The next person picks up
the story thread and continues it, then stops. Next person adds to it and so on
until the tale comes to a resolution.
2 c) Students
can also come into the centre of the circle and tell a short story on their
own. They could also choose to read an African folktales (see bibliography).
These stories can be accompanied by clapping or drumming by the performer or by
the audience.
2 d) The
audience or another performer can then recap or retell the whole story entirely
in dance form. This should be shorter than the original. Alternatively, a dance
can be done to recap the events of the story at the end of each section of the
story.
2 e) Students
can share an African Creation story. They can list the characters and each act
out the characters or animals involved in the story. Each student can act out a
different animal and they can use movements, masks or visual cues to show this
animal.
2 f) Students
think of a plant or animal from their district. Students think about what the
origin of this plant or animal may be. Students create a story or performance
to tell the story of how this animal or plant came to be the way it is. The
story can be built around a chant and rhythm. The rhythm could be made with
hand clapping or with the feet stomping.
2 g) Students
can create their own creation story based on landscape. Here are some
instructions which may help students to do this:
Look at the
hills, mountains, rocks or any geographic features that are outside. Look
at the shape of one geographic feature and think of an animal which that
feature could represent. Look at other geographical features and decide
what other animals each feature could represent. Look at the arrangement
and relationship of the different geographical features and attempt to
make up a story that tells how these animals came to be frozen in these
particular poses in this particular place. Begin to develop your landscape
story into a form (spoken with gesture or spoken with dance) you have chosen.
Make your story
as
imaginative as you can. Don’t be too realistic.
The
Conclusion or the Moral or Message
3 a) The
storyteller can come up with what the message or moral of the story was and tell
this to the group at the end.
3b)
Alternatively, the group or a member of the audience can get up and announce
what the moral or message of the story was.
Bibliography
Asihene,
E. 1997. Traditional Folk-Tales of Ghanaa. Edwin Mellen Press. New York.
Beier, U.
(ed.) 1966. The origin of Life and Death: African Creation Myths. Heinemann, London. http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m14/stories.php
Brockett,
O. 1995. The History of Theatre (7th Ed.) Allyn & Bacon. Boston (pp 635-639).
Dada, O.
1970. West African Folktales. Dorrance and Company. Philadelphia.
Bower, J.
2007. Dance and Drama – The Spirit of Africa. Aston Scholastic. New York. http://education.scholastic.co.uk/content/1461
Harwood,
R. 1984. All the World’s a Stage. Secker & Warburg. London (pp13-36)
Lott,
Joanna. “Keepers of History.” Research Penn State. http://news.psu.edu/story/140694/2002/05/01/research/keepers-history
Owomoyela,
O.1997. Yoruba Trickster Tales. University of Nebraska Press. Lincoln & London.
Tembo, M. 1996. Legends
of Africa. Michael
Friedman Publishing Group.
New York.
World of Tales.
2004. Varna, Bulgaria. http://www.worldoftales.com/African_folktales.html
Video
Ero. C. Kokodiko - African
Storytelling. 2009.
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