THE PLAYWRIGHT IN A STATE OF TERROR: A CRITICAL ANALYSES OF TWO SELECTED PLAYS

Abstract

For several years, the problems confronting the nations of the world in general and Nigeria in particular have been reduced to economics, politics, and incessant terrorist attacks. Such plays like Asigbo’s – The Reign of Pascal Amusu; and Rotimi’s If… support this claim. However, for the artist to remain relevant in Nigeria’s socio-cultural and political environment, the artist must first be relevant to the society, for as long as that society exists. He must change with the times. He must understand and have factual knowledge of his immediate society and most importantly, be in a position to wage war against continuous terrorist activities through his/her creative works. It is in fact the Playwright’s sense of duty to think outside the boundaries of acceptable opinion and dare to audaciously say things which no one else would dare to say. This is where the media fails sometimes; recalling the events of 9/11 where the media continually failed in its job to serve as investigator that is charged with the task of thinking outside the box and conscientizing society. Based on this outlook, this research paper seeks to critically examine the role of the Playwright in a State of Terror and discovers that the transcendent nature of theatre as an art, not only shows us the beauty of everyday life, but can also go beyond everyday politics and media publicity to critically address the problems of the day. By way of example, the selected plays reflect the various ways through which the Playwright exposes terrorism and responds to the atrocities of terror in the Nigeria space. In the end, it is the Playwright who triumphs over the conventional wisdom and challenges the reader/spectator to do the same.