Teachers taught how to write good scripts

By George Orido

Kenya: Teachers have been urged to help students develop drama scripts around real issues affecting society today.

Moi University lecturer Christopher Odhiambo urged the teachers to help the students identify pressing issues that can be enacted on stage so that the annual Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival remains functional and useful.

“When you address issues on poverty, health, governance and child rights then you are talking issues close to the hearts of Kenyans, thus becoming persuasive,” said Prof Odhiambo.

He was speaking during a drama workshop for Metropolitan region teachers at Machakos Academy High School.

The Metropolitan region brings together teachers from Nairobi, Makueni, Machakos and Kajiado counties.  The workshop was meant to equip teachers with relevant skills ahead of this year’s drama festivals.

Odhiambo, who is a respected trainer and adjudicator, reiterated the crucial role that drama plays in mirroring pertinent issues in society.

Taking the message a step further, Toili Khisa narrated how he was once inspired to write a poem after coming across a mob forcefully circumcising  a family patriarch at Kiminini Market of Bungoma County.

“In my poem, I said it was wrong of our community to force their traditional practices and beliefs on others,” he said.

Beatrice Mwangi, the vice chair of Nairobi Metropolitan region, urged students to bring out this year’s theme – “Celebrating our Diversity for National Unity” – eloquently during the festival.

According to Hudson Wafula of Dagoretti High School, it will take a lot of discipline by both students and teachers to come up with good dances, especially in the new genre of Modern Dance.

“Rhythmic dance movements responding to various musical arrangements will easily communicate taboo stories that are not easily expressed by other art forms,” he observed.

The strategy

Mike Mutua, the Joint Activities chairman of Machakos County, urged the teachers to take the training seriously because of stiff competition from other regions such as Western and Nyanza.

Executive Secretary Charles Mutava said the strategy for the Metropolitan region was to have the very best of facilitators and trainers to get involved in preparing teachers and students.

“This will equip us with the latest skills to produce the very best at the national festival in Nyeri this April,” he said, adding that he was pleased with the big turnout of teachers.

Mr Mutava and colleagues Rosemary Ngota and Gladys John presented a model play on the theme Kenya Moja, Nchi Yangu.

Esther Nyang’acha from Precious Blood Riruta appreciated the training as informative and detailed, saying it had given teachers direction on the items to present at the fete.