COSTUME AND MAKE-UP AS INDISPENSABLE ARTS
IN THEATRE. PRACTICE: A HISTORICAL SURVEY
University of lIorin,
Ilorin, Nigeria.
Introduction
Theatre
is one of the oldest art forms and one can rightly claim that the fundamental
act of theatre occurs whenever an actor or actress communicates directly
through actions and words to an audience. Various techniques, materials and
settings may be employed in the communication process. Costumes and Make-up are
paramount among the elements used in relating human experiences to an audience.
The
theatrical art is a premodial experience and for this reason, the history of
theatre must start from pre-literary period in traditional societies, long
before the western conception of the origins of theatre. Theatre as an art form
is generally conceded in Western culture to have begun with the Greeks. A part
of the reason for this generally accepted idea lies in the fact that it is from
ancient Greece that we inherited the first written down play scripts. This
claim however, has come under contention following more recent historical
findings. We are aware that in his attempt to meet one of his primal
necessities (getting food), early man was forced to disguise himself to look
like the animals he hunted. Using costumes and make-up he was able to show his
fellow tribesmen how he made his instruments, implements and weapons, or how he
was able to overcome and capture the animals he used for his meals.
The
arts of costume and make-up developed alongside the art of drama. From the
pre-literary period to the Egyptian period, down to the Greek period of theatre
history; to the 20th century and beyond, costume and make-up have developed and
evolved over the years to become indispensable arts of theatre practice. We
shall examine this historical development alongside the development of Nigerian
Theatre practice, in order to expose the centrality of the arts of costume and
make-up to theatre practice.
The
Western Theatre
Costumes
played a central role in theatrical productions of the Greek classical period.
The designers of this period made use of colours, fabrics, lines and masks to
create character portraits well suited to the mood of the plays. Plays were
costumed according to genres. Masks were an essential aspect of the costume of
all performers during this period. All performers with the possible exception
of the flute players wore masks. They were made of linen, cork or wood, and
fitted over the entire head of the performers. The costume practices of the
Roman theatre were not very exclusive or original, especially in the area of
tragic and comic costumes, because they were derived from the Greek theatre.
For the Medieval theatre, costumes were treated symbolically rather than
realistically. And in both the formal and popular theatres of the Renaissance,
costume played an important part in creating the scenic illusion. In the
popular theatres, they served to identify the characters, as well as to add to
the stage decorations. During the nineteenth century, costuming developed
authenticity and historical accuracy in line and details adapted to the
configuration of the contemporary performer without necessarily presenting an
exact duplicate of the original appearance. Though, some producers tried
costume reforms during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a
genuine and lasting reform was only made possible through the efforts of the
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, whose exhaustive researches and careful attention to
details made memorable stage pictures. By the twentieth century, the principle
of careful and accurate costuming in the theatre had become a universally
accepted practice. Costuming in the theatre was now conceived as an essential
contributing element to the whole mode and style of a play, therefore, one can
rightly assert that costumes and make-up have been, indispensable to theatre
from the inception of time.
The Nigerian
Theatre
Two
types of theatrical traditions are easily identified in the Nigerian theatre.
These are: the Indigenous Theatre Tradition and the Contemporary Theatre
Tradition .The Indigenous Theatre Tradition is mostly acknowledged to be the
first type of theatre idiom to emerge in the history of Nigerian theatrical
culture. This is because it is subsumed in the culture of the people; hence,
the relationship is not far-fetched. It is a kind of theatre where societal
expression, social pattern of life, ethical values, moral essence, religion and
history are mirrored in a dynamic living form, as visualised in the numerous
robust indigenous theatrical traditions of most societies in Nigeria such as
religious ritual enactment, festival performances, initiation ceremonies, story
telling sessions, masquerade displays and so on. Nevertheless, in these
traditional performances, indigenous actors, costumes, make-up, masks, songs,
mimes, folktales, dances have become the major high points of the communication
of this theatre mould among various communities in Nigeria, thus, bringing to
light the fact that, costume and make-up emerged concurrently with indigenous
actors, dancers, and musicians on the Nigerian theatrical scene. In this
regard, costume and make-up can be assumed to be as old as Nigerian theatre. To
support this observation, Adedeji (103) asserts that:
The Indigenous Nigerian Theatre generally
is an activity in which an actor takes a role other than himself through mime,
speech, song, or movement with the use of performing aids (costume, make-up,
properties, mask) conveys or communicates a message to an audience which may be
visible or invisible participatory or non participatory.
Hence,
confirming that, the dynamics of aesthetics in the aforementioned traditional
performances depended largely on the lavish use of colourful costume and
make-up in Nigerian indigenous performances as found in Ekpe, Ogun, Edi,
Obitun, Oshun, Ekuechi and Sango festivals among others. For instance, at Ife,
the Edi festival that is otherwise known as "The play of Moremi" is usually
a seven-day event. It is a festival that displays a lot of colourful costumes
and make-up in the re-enactment of Moremi's singular heroic deed; in the
emancipation of the people of Ife from the Igbos. In this festival performance,
different colourful costumes made of different materials like Aso-Oke, Sanyan,
Ankara are usually worn by members of the community. The major characters in
this traditional festival reenactment are perceived in rnythological characters
like: 'Obatala', 'Obalufe', 'Obalaayan', 'Oduduwa', 'Yeyegbasa’, 'Moremi' etc.
They are costumed in different materials in form of 'Aso-Oke' 'Aran', 'Oja'
'Raffia leaves', 'Sinde', while the accessories are cowries, beads, tortoise
shells, etc. The make up is local white chalk and camwood stylishly designed
on their faces and bodies where appropriate. Likewise, in the ritualistic
manifestation of this same festival, bogus white wrappers and white local chalk
are extensively and creatively used on the priest, his acolytes and the carrier
of Ed; known as 'Tele' in the dramatic enactment of the rites of this
festival.
Other traditional theatrical institutions like masquerade
displays, initiation ceremonies, story-telling theatres also attest to the
extensive utility of colourful and elaborate indigenous costume, masque and
make-up designs in the evolution of these arts as theatre. For instance,
Stewart (10) gives a picturesque description of Ekong masquerade festival dance
costume of the Ibibios from the Eastern part of Nigeria thus:
The face and head of the dancers are completely obscured with a table-like structure fastened to the head. This is covered with brightly coloured fringed handkerchiefs and on top appears the head of a female goddess. This head is carved in soft wood and painted with white or pink with little mirrors as decorative base, because the Ibibio gods and goddess are supposed to have come from the waters of the rivers. However, the hands and feet of the dancer are carefully covered and a colourful cloth is usually worn about the waist of the dancer.
From
the picture painted above by Stewart, one can easily deduce that the Indigenous
Nigerian theatrical costumes and make-up are crafted with great artistic and
aesthetic artistry deeply rooted in the culture of the Nigerian people. This postulation
affirms Adedeji's (103) observation that:
Every
theatre is informed by the nature of the culture from which it is construed and
formalized.
It
is however paramount to state at this juncture that apart from the identified
raw indigenous theatre modes (ritual, folktales, festivals and masquerade art)
there are some more organised and popular indigenous entertainment forms which
are refined out of the aforementioned theatre forms in both the traditional and
contemporary Nigerian society. Among these are the Yoruba Alarinjo theatres,
Annarig drama of Ibibio, Bornu puppet shows as well as the Hausa comical art of
Yankamanci and the Tiv Kwagh-hir among others. In this regard, Kwaghir puppet
theatre for example, is
Constructed from the Tiv culture as patterns of action showing the people's understanding of their life, how it -was, how it is at present, or how it should be, hence, these are replete in the immense artistic and aesthetic creativity projected by the use of colourful and spectacular masque, costumes and props in the puppetry display of this popular theatre aesthetics. (Hag her 12)
Thus,
Kwagh-hir costumes are found in different shades of colours and varied design
concepts, which are spectacularly sewn into different styles, so as to
integrate various societal activities into the Tiv design culture. Therefore,
the masks of this
theatre tradition are elaborate, reflecting the versatile aesthetic background
of the Tiv people. In view of this, Enem (250) highlights that:
The
Paraphernalia of Kwagh-hir are diverse in types and moral connotation. The
puppets especially, are in different styles. Some are naturalistic, other
grotesque and ridiculous, but all reflecting the moral prejudices and sanctions
of the community. Historical awareness is shown in some puppets which
represents event such as when the first motor bike was ridden in Gboko or the
first woman emerged or when modem dress styles of European design gained local
acceptance.
Yankamaci - Hausa comedian theatre is another kind of popular indigenous theatre entertainment that is widely accepted among the Hausa audience. It is a craft that these Hausa comedians have been practising for so many years to the extent that whenever it is performed, it is greeted with a resounding applause and enthusiasm, because of the creative skills of performers and the special modes of expression that characterise their dramaturgy. Example of this expression is visible in their costumes. In view of this, Gidley (282) describes 'Dara' as a multi-coloured face cap stylistically worn by the lead comedian; to make the audience laugh. 'Tun tu tassel' is also a Riga (gown) worn on the apron of the performers to give aesthetic effect to their dance steps when they are dancing, while 'Hamila' is a "sword sash" where the swords used for their theatrical displays are kept and lastly, the performers' bare bodies that are exposed from the shoulder to the waist are also costumed because they are specially designed that way in order to elicit comic response from the audience.
But among all the mentioned popular indigenous theatrical forms, the Yoruba Alarinjo theatre was "a highly prodigious and electrifying efflorescence of Nigerian theatrical culture" (Ododo 41). Hence, the research carried out by Adedeji on it is found to be quite resourceful to this study in the sense that, it pinpoints a time in the history of Nigerian theatre when this dramatic tradition was said to have developed alongside ritual performances while still keeping aspects of the traditional ritual festivals. Thus, our study elaborates on the performance aspects of the Alarinjo groups, which consisted primarily of songs, lavish costume, masque and extra-ordinary spectacle. Citing Clapperton (1590), Adedeji claims that:
The Alarinjo theatre first emerged from
the dramatic roots of the egungun (masquerade) as ancestor worship during the
reign of Alaafin Ogbolu who acceded to the throne at Oyo, Igboho about 1590, as
a court Entertainment. (Adedeji 221)
The
foregoing has shown clearly that it is from Oyo's court entertainment, that the
Alarinjo developed its professional roots. Little wonder then that Alarinjo
theatre convention is creatively composed to reflect the indigenous culture of
the Yoruba. In short, its production style is a composite representation of
high level of creativity and indigenous artistry. This is reflected in the
spectacular costumes they used such as Labalaba; a butterfly costume and
Ago; an overall garment, etc.
Above
that, the visual aesthetics of -the Ala-rinjo performance mode were consciously
amplified in the creative use of design elements and principles in order to
enhance their performance outlook. Examples of these are found in Adedeji's
repertoire of Alarinjo's theatrical masks. Such masks are "the
sociological mask" which he divided into two categories, the non-stranger
and the stranger elements in the society. With adroit use of outlandish
costumes, such stranger elements as 'Oyinbo', (whiteman), the 'Tapa' and
'Gambari', (Northern Nigerian character types), as well as Idahomi warriors
were incorporated into this mode. The non-stranger-elements included 'Abiku'
("the child that is literally born to die') 'Omutiol (Drunkard) 'pansaga'
(Adulteress), Apon (Bachelor) and a few others.
But
aside this particular masque categorisation, other masques that were used were
artistically designed for totemic, satiric and mythological characters; Sango,
Osun, Obatala while the satiric masques are 'Didinrin' (Moron), 'Elekedidi'
(Numps) and 'Onimu oru' (Nosey), etc. This Alaarinjo composite masque
dramaturge therefore informs Akinwale's (119) conclusion that
Make-up was not necessary, since the costumes had a mask or net and hence, faces were covered. However, the Alarinjo movement dwindled into oblivion with the incursion of Christianity and the troupe began going down considerably.
What the latter part of the above quotation means is that the
decline of Alarinjo, traditional Yoruba theatre was due to religious influences
in the early and middle 19th century, with the upsurge of Islamic influences
from the North and open hostility from the missionary societies from the South,
the Alarinjo theatre group lost their popularity and dwindled into the limbo of
forgotten memory.
Then came the 20th century, and a new theatrical movement
evolved. This marked the commencement of entertainments of non-African origin
on the Nigerian soil and this outlined the beginning of concerts of European
nature in contemporary Nigerian societies as seen in concert performances in churches
in Lagos and Abeokuta in the 40s. Later on, this tradition was moved out of
church and was established as professional theatre in Nigeria.
For the Contemporary Theatre Tradition, we shall discuss the
three broad categories which are the popular theatre, the literary theatre, and
the commercial theatre. The contemporary Nigerian theatre tradition is a
mixture of African and Western dramatic styles or influence because it depicts
an integration of African culture and Western production styles. Hubert Ogunde
is an exponent of the popular form of Theatre in Nigeria. Ododo (41) posits
that he has been variously described as the "trunk",
"father" "doyen", "starter" and founder of modem
Nigerian theatre practice by different established scholars like Clark, Barber
and Ogundijo, Gumucio-Dagron and Beier, etc. An annotation to this statement
can be deduced from the fact that he is the first to evolve a formidable
professional "actor manager" travelling company in Nigeria called
"the African Music Research party" in 1946. In fact, Clark (3)
asserts that:
By this act, Ogunde began the rise of
modem professional theatre in Nigeria, a movement in which he remains the
supreme artist and father figure.
Ododo (43) also sheds light on this assertion while observing
that:
Hubert Ogunde's appearance on the Nigerian theatre scene opened up a new vista for theatre practice in Nigeria because of the formal dimension he brought into theatre presentation, using Western models to harness indigenous materials while being mindful of his audience and environment.
From the quotation above, it is obvious that Ogunde's theatre
was a combination of influence of Western dramatic forms as seen in opera and
cantata and the adoption of repertory system and the tenets of the Alarinjo
theatre. This trait is what Obafemi (14) summed up this way:
The two shaping forces in his work are
thus the "pagan" and the "Christian": These influences are
reflected in the synthetic process of his theatre.
This synthetic process is however reflected in his aesthetic
sense, as projected in his use of technical aids in the articulation of his
production, concept and style, where great attention is paid to elaborate and
colourful costumes and make-up in his theatre practice, thereby supporting Ododo's
(155) view that costume and makeup designs are "where the resilient forte
and expressiveness of this theatre lies". Clark (4) also brings out the
intercultural concept in Ogunde's production style and costume design while
appraising the performance of the actors in his play "Mr. Devil's
Money". She describes with relish:
A set of
twenty-four stars all donning costumes of up country designs and dancing to the
strain of music supplied by a band of ancient instruments.
By
this description, it is evident that Ogunde has changed the direction of Yoruba
theatre dramaturgy and given it a new impetus and dimension with the western
flavour. This can be perceived in the carnival-like costumes and make-up worn
by his actors, in the closing glee of one of the concert party performances at
Abeokuta in 1953. However, this is not to conclude that, in all Ogunde's
productions, costume and makeup are fashioned after acculturation concept.
However, production concept is the sole determinant of Ogunde's costume and make-up
designs. As seen in the plays like "Olomoge", "Yoruba
Ronu", "Oh ogunde!", "Seranko S'Enia" and
"Ayanmo" where traditional costume and make-up are colourfully and
beautifully designed to aid production style and actors' characteristics.
(Clark 32). To this effect, Omoregie (185) observes that in the Igbeyawo Oba
scene in the play "Oh Ogunde!"
The female members of the company were
attired in uniform aso-oke wrappers secured under their armpits, they
wore handbands of cowrie-shells, while Ogunde in his role as the Oba was
dressed in a full length wrapper of woven Igbira Shaki cloth with a
beaded crown.
Apart from Ogunde, the euphoria of Nigerian Independence also
brought with it an explosion of creativity in the urban arts oriented towards
new African forms and a rejection of colonial influences. Thus, some other
artists; Duro Ladipo, Kola Ogunmola, Moses Olaiya, Oyin Adejobi also started
their own actor-managers travelling theatre practice in the 60s.
The first in this roll was Duro Ladipo, who created spectacular
productions dramatising themes from Yoruba mythology and history. His trilogy: Oba
Koso (The king did not hang), Oba mora (The king of ghost), and Oba
Waja (The king is dead) published in (1964), reflect the history of old Oyo
empire. These traditional values and aesthetics are transferred to costumes and
make-up designs in the plays, so that they are spectacularly and colourfully
designed to reflect his deep cultural heritage. Example of such costumes can be
captured in Sango and Oya's costumes. In Omoregie's (86) description of these
costumes and make-up:
The costume for Oba koso consists of the
layered skirts in predominantly red hues of Sango devotees, a tunic top, sewn
intricately with charms, animal skins and cowrie shells, giving it a most
ancient and authentic look. On his head, he wears the carved wooden headdress
reminiscent of the woven hair of the arch-cleity, and in his hand, a gourd
rattle covered with charms. His wife Abiodun, in the role of Oya, Sango's
consort, is attired in aso-oke wrappers secured under her armpits with
an adire piece around her waist. Her woven hairdo is decorated with
white beads, a profusion of which she also wears around her neck.
Kola Ogunmola is another brilliant actor and his company's
director who specialised in domestic comedies like "Ife Owo", but his
most successful is "Om uti Apa", an adaptation of Amos Tutuola's The
Palmwine Drunkard, where explosive visual aesthetics in his design concept
are brought to the surface via beautiful costume and make-up design and
properties enriched by Yoruba cultural heritage. To this end, Beier (328) makes
an observation concerning Demas Nwoko's production of Ogunmola's work thus:
Demas Nwoko's production added some tightness and speed,
without interfering with Ogunmola's basic style of performance. His costume
design and sets were brilliant and spectacular, thus, giving the playa very
wide appeal.
Further contributions in modem professional travelling theatres
can also be seen in Moses Olaiya, Oyin Adejobi, Lere Paimo and Lamidi Ayangelu
theatre companies, where artistic and aesthetic harmony were adequately
expressed in their creative prowess. This can be evinced in Moses Olaiya's
farcical plays, "Owo Ife", "Omidan" and others which
integrated symbolic costumes and elaborate make-up into their theatrical
repertory. In fact, Ayangelu's "Iya Olomo" costumes and masque
dramaturgy were usually an alluring and spectacular sight to 'behold by the
audience in all his theatrical outings'. To this extent, Adedeji and Ekwuazi
(58) make the submission that
The concept of creativity is a common denominator found in the
works of the various artists of the Yoruba travelling theatre. There is a common
belief in the principle of spectacle and the concept of transformation as
applied to the theatre. The artists, by utilizing the resource of the basic
elements of colour, sound and movement, produce a fusion of the surrealistic
and the common-place; realism as a mode hardly relates to the aesthetic
sensibility of the Yoruba.
The Literary
Theatre culture blossomed in the post-independence era. It is a product of the
system of education introduced by the British colonial administration into
Nigeria's political system before independence in 1960. The aim essentially is
to use this theatre as cultural enlightenment programme to dialogue with people
in English. Oti (24) therefore aptly describes this theatre tradition as a
"theatre, which consciously concerned themselves with both aesthetics and
techniques of theatre via the text". This is seen in the first theatre of
English expression- Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan in 1948. In alliance
with the motive of establishing this theatre, the presentational style is a
blend of Nigerian dramatic tradition and Western convention, but in ratio, the
influence of Western style is more prevalent. This is replete in the artistic
concerns of this theatre as seen in works of early playwrights, dramatists,
designers and critics that characterised the activities of this literacy
theatre. To this end, Adedeji and Ekwuazi (24) observe that,
Of the playwrights and practitioners of this theatre, Wole
Soyinka's "The 1960 Mask" and Orisun (1963) and Ola Rotimi's
Oriolokun Theatre Company (1968) have been identified as two leaders of
professional theatre in English expression.
This judgment is borne out of the number of actors, writers,
directors, and designers that Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi have worked with,
trained and influenced in the course of their interaction in the practice of
this theatre idiom.
According
to Adelugba (22), glaring examples can be drawn from the crop of competent
costume and make-up designers that characterised the technical production of
Wole Soyinka's plays such as Demas Nwoko, Esoshe Suinner, Danielle Lyndersey to
mention but a few. In fact, most of the plays produced by Soyinka: Trials of
Brother Jero (1960), Lion and the Jewel (1963), Kongi's
Harvest (1965) at the Arts Theatre, Ibadan benefited tremendously from the
expertise of these costume and make-up production staff. As a matter fact,
Nwoko, Lydersey and Folarin among others are early costume and make-up
designers, in the 60s, 70s and 80s, who made their marks in this area of
theatre specialisation at the Arts Theatre, Ibadan. For instance, Olusola (304)
reviewed Nwoko's enormous imaginative sense in costume design in Kola
Ogunmola's Palmwine Drunkard (1963) thus:
He
employed all theatre devices, classic and modern costumes, settings, lighting,
perfect timing; acting, sound effects and stagecraft ... the costuming is
lavish, alive, original and a bit incongruous in places.
Likewise, in Ola Rotimi's plays, the ingenuity of technical
designers was always reflecting in the beautiful costume and make-up designs of
his plays, such as Kurunmi, Ovoramwen Nogbaisi, The Gods are not to Blame and
a host of others. This was achievable because Ola Rotimi made use of
experienced designers like Agbo Folarin, Demas Nwako, Danielle Lyndersay etc,
in his theatrical build up, since his plays were usually entrenched in African
proverbs and idioms, hence, the need for aesthetic and artistic visual design
of costume and make up in his plays. This made his production to be unique and
invariably, it drew enthusiastic response from both university and popular
audience, including professional travelling theatre practitioners, a success
Jeyifo (52) attributes to:
The influence of the university based artists and companies,
with their more formally polished principles and techniques of stage lighting
and costume design.
However, with the emergence of playwrights such as Femi
Osofisan, Bode Sowande, Kole Omotosho, Olu Obafemi, etc, one observes a new
vigour and versatility in the Nigerian literary theatre. For instance, the
production of Femi Osofisan's plays reflect the occidental influences of
"poor theatre idiom" and a demystification of technical aids of the
theatre because great premium is given to low budget (Akinwale 132). In view of
this, most of the plays directed by him were mainly devoid of aesthetic'
effects because fragmented costumes with little or no consideration for colour
symbolism were utilised, and when make-up was applied on actors, they were
usually very bare (Ododo 148), as replete in such plays as Once upon Four
Robbers (1977) and Midnight Hotel (1985). But for others such as Olu
Obafemi, Bode Sowande and Kole Omotosho, visual aesthetics of the theatre was
paramount to them as seen in productions of Bode Sowande's plays Flamingo (1982)
and Circus of Freedom Square (1985) at the University of Ibadan Arts
Theatre, where fantastic and colourful costumes and make-up were utilised to
aid actors characterisation and the overall production styles of the plays
(Adelugba 23). At this juncture, it is worthy of note that apart from the
University of Ibadan, other Nigerian literary Theatre Arts Departments also
evolved along the line in the 60s, 70s and 80s such as Dramatic Arts Department
at the University of Ife; Drama Studies at the Department of English and Drama,
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Performing Arts Department at the University of
IIorin, and many others where Theatre Arts courses are taught and practised.
But regardless of the emergence of more theatre schools,
Western theatrical conventions still remain the gauge by which production
concepts and styles are measured in the Nigerian literary theatre because
costume and make-up designs still tend towards eclecticism. Western plays such
as Sophocle's Antigone, were and are still being costumed in the usual
garments that emphasised the grace of the Greek theatre, where movements
through constant changing of the folds of garments characterised the costumes
of Classical Greece.
Similarly, make-up that is pertinent to the Greek age is still
given required consideration in the Nigerian theatre. Apart from that, even
Nigerian plays are still conditioned by the Western specifications of
theatrical culture because they are determined by Western production styles of
Realism, Symbolism, Impressionism, etc. However, this is not to conclude that
African plays are costumed in flowing gowns and robes that are peculiar to
Western dressing modes.
In
this regard, early practitioners of costume and makeup in the Nigerian theatre
did not make conceited efforts to represent traditional performance cultures,
regardless of the beautiful designs and great artistry exhibited by them in the
development of Nigerian theatre. This is because most of the early designers,
practitioners and scholars of the art such as Demas Nwoko, Agbo Folarin and
others later dropped the practice of these arts for other areas of theatre
specialisation, like scenic design and property construction and fine arts.
This Led to dearth of competent hands in these fields and hence, the slow
growth rate of these two areas of theatre specialisation because their wealth
of knowledge in these fields have not been properly documented for future
practitioners.
This
reason partly accounts for why there is dearth of costume and make-up scholars
in Nigerian universities. From the empirical survey conducted by this scholar
in 2004 on Theatre Arts Departments in Nigerian Institutions of higher
learning, especially where costume and make-up are taught and practised, it was
discovered that lecturers in these areas are probably not up to fifteen. But in
spite of this scenario, the practice of costume and make-up in the literary
theatre remains viable, because of the invaluable utility of costume and
make-up designs to the conception of theatrical productions.
Commercial
Theatre practice in Nigeria is an offshoot of literary theatre tradition. This
is reflected in its practitioners who are products of the literary theatre.
Example of such theatres are seen in Federal-owned theatre ventures like
National Arts Theatre; state owned theatre ventures such as Art Councils as well
as Radio, Television, Home video and Celluloid theatre media. However in the
development of this theatre form, various efforts are injected into their
presentational styles by practitioners such as Ladi Ladebo, Gbenga Sonuga, Ola
Balogun and Eddie Ugboma so as to present well-packaged productions that are
attuned to literary theatre traditions. In this vein, costumes and make-up are
important aspects of these productions. In fact, costume and make-up
practitioners like Peju Sonuga, Felicia Melford, Idowu Sonubi, Dike Nwachukwu,
Dagogo Jack Diminas, etc. have contributed in no small measure to the
advancement of the practice. For instance, in the television media, Peju
Sonuga, a pioneer staff member of the Nigerian Television Authority in 1975
started the actual practice of television make-up because what was available
then as television make-up was "just rubbing of powder on the face".
Her other contributions can also be extended to soap operas like "Cock
Crow at Dawn", "Adio's Family", "Village Headmaster" to
mention but a few. Her achievement also extends to live theatre, celluloid and
home video as seen in 'Ose Sango' produced by the Adesanyas (1992),
'Vigilante' (1987), 'The Vendor' (1987) and 'Paraya' (1991), 'Spirit of Lagos'
(1997), 'Salt' (2000), etc.
Felicia
Melford on her part was the costume and make-up artist of National Theatre
troupe for several years before her death in 2001. When she was alive, she
'costumed many productions on stage and celluloid like 'Eri Okan', 'Family
Circle', Death and the Kings Horseman, 'Onome' and a host of others.
Similarly, Idowu Sonubi has costumed many productions on the stage and
celluloid such as Eniyan, Ovoramwen Nogbaisi, Kurunmi, etc, before she
was made the Executive Director of Lagos State Arts Council in 2000. Also Dike
Nwachukwu who started the art of make-up effects in the Nigerian Home Video in
(1994), has worked on such films as "Mark of the beast", "Love
without language II", "Battle of Musanga", among others.
Diminas
Dagogo Jack is also another gifted make-up practitioner in the Home Video
Industry, who actually advanced the craft of make-up effects to the standard it
has attained today by bringing glamour into the make-up practice through his
theatre company (Thirteen Fat Men). He has therefore recorded success in
productions such as 'Bottle Neck' (1996), 'Shame' (1996), 'Ritual' (1997),
'Oracle' (1998) and others. There has been an influx of other make-up
practitioners like Odion Perez, Kene Sobifa Dimina, Deigoni Okoye, John
Lakenfa, Okechukwu Anyanwu, Regina Igwe, Grace Adinku, Adetokunbo Kazeem and
several others into the Nigerian theatrical scene; but surprisingly, despite
all these numerous practitioners, the growth rate of costume and make-up
practice in Nigeria remains slow and insignificant.
Conclusion
This
historical survey has drawn from Western and Nigerian theatrical conventions in
order to establish a parallel for the assessment of costume and make-up design
experiences and practices. Costumes and make-up have played such significant
roles in the theatre that their indispensability can no longer be contested.
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