Muscle display at annual drama schools contest

By GEORGE ORIDO

They are called Kenya’s talents. They easily say the lines and exude confidence making lovers of drama acknowledge their mastery.

Watching different schools and colleges perform in coloured costumes at the just concluded annual drama fete, many may not have known the tedious work, money and commitment the competitors had put in to reach this far.

The competition is open to all schools. The starting point is a compelling script. The drama patron assigns actors roles and after rehearsing for weeks, they meet the teacher, after classes, for auditions.

The auditions are rigorous and are akin to those enlisting servicemen.

"We look at the actors’ artistic skills, physical fitness, discipline and above all, academic performance," explains Kakamega High School principal Oliver Minishi, a biology teacher and co-writer of this year’s school play, Detoxification.

Shake off

The school co-hosted this year’s Kenya Schools and colleges Drama Festivals alongside neighbours, Mukumu Girls’ High School.

For schools to reach the nationals, they must shake off the challenge from zonal through district, county and regional levels. Creativity in verses, plays, dance, narrative, mime and now film is a vital element in the competition.

Also, discipline is crucial. A team can be bundled out unceremoniously like it happened to the Kenya College of Accountancy Kisumu which was suspended for drunkenness and unruly behaviour.

So much is at stake in this 53-year-old festival. Everyone involved has high stakes. Drama teachers who excel in the competition quickly earn promotions – and recognition. Performing before the President is seen as the ultimate achievement.

"Last year, we had a couple of teachers honoured with Order of the Grand Warrior, and we thank Your Excellency," festival chairman Chokera Kahora told President Kibaki during this year’s winners state concert at the State House last Friday.

As a result, winning at the festivals is a matter of life and death – sort of.

Schools have big budgets for the fete. The colour and glamour today show how much schools are willing to spend for the glamorous honour.

Costume craze

The dÈcor has moved from simple backdrops to detailed sets that compete with film.

"In the winning items this year, the performers engaged with the set making it part and parcel of the story," explains Prof Christopher Odhiambo, the senior most adjudicator at the festival.

Costumes have become another craze at the festivals.

Producers have moved away from the basic wear to define character. Instead, spectacle has become central to costumes where the audience is wowed once the curtains open.

One of the masters of this art is director Cleophas Malalah whose direction, Gold Less by Riara Springs won this year’s secondary play trophy.

In this play where an individual’s selfishness, insensitivity and greed is exemplified, the characters wore full military gear with commanders having medals lined on their fitting blazers; and miners in full protective gear wearing orange overalls to deepen meaning and roles.

"Contrary to common belief that costumes are expensive, I invest just between Sh25,000 and 30,000 in costumes but work with talented designers to come up with such impressive products," says Malalah.

College winners Kenya Institute of Mass Communication with County Edition 411 whose message on leadership and integrity resonated with the audience, displayed the same trend – trendy costumes.

So were primary school victors St Thomas Aquinas whose play Father and I depicted the under dealings and unethical crave for political power.

Yet this trend, the obsession with costumes, has had a negative impact on talented students who come from schools that cannot afford that kind of money for impressive costumes and dÈcor.

Such schools, especially public ones with lower enrolment figures, are thus relegated at the zonal levels leaving the ‘big boys’ to proceed to the national arena. It is a dream for every team at the nationals to land that invite to perform at the gala.

So it the disheartening eventuality when one’s team has been selected but that they cannot honour the invite. This happened to Kagumo Teachers’ College and Kenyatta University. Kagumo was to perform choral verse, Gasolina and KU the play Hallo Adults.

Kagumo actors had already been dismissed while KU had dispensed of their costumes and dÈcor and there was no time to regroup in Kakamega.

Those who didn’t win will have another chance next year as they go back to the drawing boards to battle it out in Mombasa, the next national stage.